A study published in Nature on September 4, 2024, used machine learning models to quantify the global extent of macroplastic pollution. Using a mix of local data and probabilistic modeling for over 50,000 municipalities worldwide, their bottom-up approach estimates that 52 million tons of plastic were released into unmanaged systems in 2020.
The research, conducted by Joshua Cottom and others from the University of Leeds, focused on both local and global emissions from uncollected waste and open burning. Similar to other studies on global waste management, they found that “on an absolute basis, … plastic pollution emissions are highest across countries in Southern Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa and South-eastern Asia.” With the greatest amount in their model coming from India.
Cottom et al. classified the waste emissions into two categories: debris and mass burned in open fires. A recent report led by the Czech civil society organization Arnika investigated the effects of waste incineration on the environment, with a particular focus on the industrial incinerators used in Europe. The report outlines many environmental and health impacts from polluted air and toxic substances released from incinerators with case studies from around the world. It also includes case studies from Europe and Japan where communities were able to overhaul their waste management systems to move away from incineration.
Many communities around the world have little access to formal waste management. According to Jorge Emmanuel in a 2022 presentation, in the Philippines there are 1.3 million neighborhood stores which “once had an active reuse system.” However, “multinationals completely destroyed a sustainable practice” and the now ubiquitous sachets have “caused lots of problems.” 164 million sachets are sold every day in the Philippines alone (FPF reported).
Microplastic pollution and uptake in human diets has also been growing, particularly in eastern Asia, especially in Laos, China, and Indonesia, but also in Egypt (FPF reported). Many countries in Southeast Asia are implementing extended producer responsibility schemes and banning certain single-use plastic products but monitoring and implementation can be difficult (FPF reported). This can be exacerbated by waste imports from other nations (FPF reported).
According to the Scientists Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty, “[w]aste might be burnt because communities lack other disposal methods, to prevent landfills reaching capacity, or to extract valuable materials such as metals. While this is clearly the least desirable disposal route, research shows that prohibition is insufficient without complementary measures and technology transfer on mutually agreed terms that offer communities and local authorities alternative, safe, and sustainable ways of disposing of plastic waste.”
References
Cottom, JW; Cook, E; and Velis, CA. (2024). “A local-to-global emissions inventory of macroplastic pollution.” Nature. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07758-6
Matthew MacLeod (September 4, 2024). “Waste management won’t solve the plastics problem — we need to cut consumption.” Nature
Arnika, et al. (September 2024). “Waste incineration and the environment.” International Pollutants Elimination Network
Scientists’ Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty. (2023). “Waste Management.” DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.10020855
Related research
Liu, M.; Brandsma, SH; Schreder, E. (2024). “From e-waste to living space: Flame retardants contaminating household items add to concern about plastic recycling.” Chemosphere. DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.143319
Xu, T; Yang, J; Shao, Z; Shen, C; Yao, F; Xia, J; et al. (2024). “Life cycle assessment of plastic waste in Suzhou, China: Management strategies toward sustainable express delivery.” Journal of Environmental Management. DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.121201
Ali, SAS; Ilankoon, IMSK; Zhang, L; Tan, J. (2024). “Understanding de-inking in packaging plastic recycling: Bridging the gap in resource conservation and establishing average hazard quotient.” Journal of Hazardous Materials. DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.135554
