Plastic

A female waste picker’s simple dream is, in its own way, part of a much bigger plan toward a plastic-free future for Vietnam. 

In Southeast Asia, artists are transforming the region's trash into a source of inspiration. With over a million of tonnes of plastic waste entering the sea annually, these artists are advocating for sustainability through their work. They redefine beauty from discarded objects, addressing pollution issues creatively, inviting audiences to rethink their relationship with waste and embrace a more responsible approach to consumption.

An abundance of plastic is overwhelming our environment and threatening our health. There is a clear absence of gender-considerate approaches, even though women are significantly discriminated against, due to their increased exposure via household labor, work in the plastics industry, and use of menstrual plastic products. Female-led solutions to recycling and unpacking gender norms can contribute greatly to addressing this issue, though it remains a problem for everyone to deal with.

Urgent action is needed to deal with plastic litter in the ocean – and a sea change is occurring on this front. Some countries in Southeast Asia are developing plans of action for policy reform as a notable first step.  Legal frameworks that support the shift towards a circular economy approach in plastics, spur systemic changes in production and consumption, and promote positive individual behavior would help address the longer-term problem.

Quick and Easy Choices to Avoid Plastic: The best way to deal with waste is not to create it in the first place. Each year, almost 30 million tonnes of solid waste is generated in Thailand. In Bangkok alone, more than 10.000 tonnes of trash is collected each day, approximately 20% is plastic waste. With a little bit of consciousness, you can already make a big difference - quick and easy! And if you do create trash, be responsible and separate, because sorting is key!

Is plastic a topic that is also discussed among youth in Thailand? What to expect from politicians and why should consumer culture change? Chompupischaya Saiboonyadis shares how she got into environmental activism and what needs to be done about plastic pollution, waste management and the circular economy.

Campus zero waste programs are a popular way to raise awareness about environmental issues and lifestyle choices with university students. At one campus in Thailand, former student Nicha Wachpanich digs deeper to show how students, staff and the university have different stakes in the waste problem.

Despite the Thai government’s ban of four more types of single-use plastics in 2022, up to 250,000 tonnes of imported plastic waste from other nations continues to flow into the country annually through the international plastic waste trade. Thailand is trying to stay the course with further efforts to mitigate plastic pollution, but there are still challenges in waste sorting and collection on the ground.

Several cities and provinces in Vietnam are reopening after a so-called tragic fourth wave of COVID-19. Along with societal and economic losses, waste generated from daily routines and medical facilities has become a huge consequence and the country must learn how to deal with the overwhelming waste.

Some may think that addressing sustainability - whether plastic use or climate change - can come after economic recovery from COVID-19. But they are not separate issues at all.