Why The World Sends Its Plastic Trash To Malaysia - Cheddar Explores

Summary

The video discusses the global plastic waste crisis, focusing on how only 9% of plastic is recycled and how much of it is exported to Asia. China, once a major importer of plastic waste, banned imports in 2017, creating a recycling crisis in the U.S. and other developed nations. The waste is now sent to Southeast Asian countries, overwhelming them and causing environmental damage. Experts call for a rethinking of plastic production and recycling systems, urging developed nations to take responsibility for their waste instead of exporting it.

Takeaways

• 🚮 The US discards around 180 pounds of plastic per person annually, with only 9% being recycled.
• 🌏 Half of the recycled plastic is processed domestically, while the rest was traditionally sent to Asia.
• 📉 China's policy change on December 31, 2017, to stop accepting 24 categories of recyclable waste disrupted the global recycling system.
• 📈 Southeast Asian nations, like Malaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand, became major importers of plastic waste after China's ban.
• 🗑️ Malaysia mismanaged 55% of its own plastic waste, leading to environmental issues and health concerns.
• 🔥 Illegal factories in countries like Malaysia burn non-recyclable waste, releasing toxic chemicals and causing health problems for residents.
• 🚨 The Malaysian government has been cracking down on illegal waste processing facilities, but the problem persists.
• 🔄 Malaysia's environmental minister announced the return of 150 containers of plastic waste to their countries of origin as of January 2020.
• 🌍 The Basel Convention, a treaty regulating the movement of hazardous wastes, is being considered to include plastic scrap to prevent waste dumping.
• 🔄 The recycling crisis has prompted calls for a fundamental rethink of plastic production and packaging to reduce waste.

Q & A

How much plastic waste does the average person generate annually?

The average person generates around 180 pounds of plastic waste per year.

What percentage of plastic waste is typically recycled?

Only 9% of the plastic waste generated is recycled.

Why was China a major destination for plastic waste from the U.S.?

China was a major destination for plastic waste because it was cheaper to recycle there than domestically, and China's booming manufacturing sector had a high demand for recycled materials.

What event in 2017 disrupted the global recycling system?

China closed its borders to 24 categories of recyclable waste on December 31st, 2017, which disrupted the global recycling system.

How did high-income countries respond to China's ban on recyclable waste?

In response to China's ban, high-income countries like the U.S., Europe, and Japan began distributing plastic waste to a wider net of poor countries, particularly in Southeast Asia.

What was the impact of increased plastic waste imports on Southeast Asian countries?

The increase in waste imports left countries like Malaysia scrambling and overwhelmed, mishandling a significant portion of their own plastic waste and struggling with illegal factories burning non-recyclable waste.

What are the environmental and health consequences of mismanaged plastic waste in countries like Malaysia?

Mismanaged plastic waste leads to water and soil pollution, air pollution from illegal burning of waste, and health issues such as rashes and violent coughing attacks among residents.

What action has the Malaysian government taken regarding plastic waste imports?

The Malaysian government has been cracking down on illegal factories and has sent back plastic shipping containers to their countries of origin, starting from January 2020.

What is the Basel Convention and how does it relate to plastic waste?

The Basel Convention is a 1992 treaty that regulates the movement of hazardous wastes between countries, designed to prevent developed countries from sending their waste to less developed countries. Plastic waste is not currently on the list of materials covered by the convention.

What long-term solutions are being proposed to address the plastic waste crisis?

Long-term solutions include reinvesting in domestic recycling, implementing further anti-plastic legislation, and fundamentally rethinking plastic packaging and production to ensure it can be recycled or eliminated.

How does the recycling crisis affect the responsibility of high-income nations regarding plastic waste?

The recycling crisis highlights the need for high-income nations to take responsibility for their own waste, ensuring it is managed properly and not simply exported to other countries.

Outlines

00:00

🌍 Global Plastic Recycling Crisis

The video discusses the startling fact that out of 180 pounds of plastic produced annually, only 9% is recycled, with half of that being processed domestically. Historically, the U.S. has relied heavily on China to recycle its plastic waste, but since China closed its borders to 24 categories of recyclable waste in 2017, the U.S. has faced a recycling crisis. This has led to an increase in plastic waste being sent to Southeast Asian countries, which are now struggling to manage the influx. The video highlights the environmental and health impacts of mismanaged waste, including pollution and toxic emissions from illegal burning of non-recyclable materials. It also mentions Malaysia's efforts to send back plastic waste to its origin countries and its support for a proposal to regulate the movement of plastic waste under the Basel Convention.

05:00

🔄 Rethinking Plastic Waste Management

The second paragraph emphasizes the need for a reality check on the recycling crisis, suggesting that the arrival of waste-laden shipping containers could compel the U.S. government to invest in domestic recycling infrastructure and enact stronger anti-plastic legislation. It calls for a fundamental rethinking of plastic production and packaging to ensure it is recyclable and sustainable. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation's program manager, Sarah Strand, is quoted, advocating for a shift in the design of plastic products to make them more recyclable. The video concludes by urging viewers to take responsibility for their waste and to support initiatives that promote sustainable waste management practices.

Keywords

💡Plastic Waste

Plastic waste refers to discarded plastic products that are difficult to recycle and often end up in landfills or the natural environment. In the video, it is highlighted that the US throws out around 180 pounds of plastic per person per year, with only a small fraction being recycled. The issue of plastic waste is central to the video's theme, emphasizing the environmental crisis caused by improper waste management and the need for better recycling practices.

💡Recycling Crisis

A recycling crisis occurs when there is a significant disruption in the recycling process, leading to a backlog of recyclable materials. The video discusses how China's decision to stop accepting recyclable waste from other countries, including the US, led to a recycling crisis. This crisis forced countries to find new ways to manage their plastic waste and highlighted the fragility of the global recycling system.

💡Curbside Recycling

Curbside recycling is a waste collection service where residents place their recyclable materials at the curb for collection. The video mentions the introduction of curbside recycling in the 1980s as a solution to environmental problems. However, it also points out the limitations of this system, as it evolved into a global economy that was not sustainable in the long term.

💡Domestic Recycling

Domestic recycling refers to the process of recycling materials within a country's own borders, as opposed to exporting waste to other countries for processing. The video discusses how the US and other high-income countries have historically relied on exporting their plastic waste to countries like China for recycling. The crisis prompted by China's ban on waste imports has led to a call for increased domestic recycling capabilities.

💡Basel Convention

The Basel Convention is a treaty that regulates the movement of hazardous wastes between countries, aiming to prevent the transfer of hazardous waste from developed to less developed countries. The video suggests that adding plastic scrap to the list of materials covered by the Basel Convention could be a long-term solution to the plastic waste problem, as it would help prevent developed countries from offloading their waste onto less developed ones.

💡Plastic Scrap

Plastic scrap refers to pieces of plastic waste that are collected for recycling. The video notes that after China stopped accepting plastic waste, countries like Malaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand became major importers of plastic scrap. However, the influx of plastic scrap has overwhelmed these countries, leading to mismanagement and environmental pollution.

💡Virgin Plastic

Virgin plastic is plastic that has been newly manufactured from raw materials, as opposed to recycled plastic. The video explains that as China's economy grew, it began producing more virgin plastic and had less need for imported plastic waste, which contributed to the recycling crisis experienced by countries that previously relied on China for waste processing.

💡Mismanagement of Waste

Mismanagement of waste refers to the improper handling or disposal of waste materials, which can lead to environmental pollution. The video cites a study that found Malaysia mismanaged 55% of its own plastic waste, and this issue was exacerbated by the increase in waste imports. Mismanagement can result in pollution of soil, waterways, and air, as seen in the video's discussion of illegal factories burning non-recyclable waste.

💡Toxic Chemicals

Toxic chemicals are harmful substances that can cause damage to the environment and health. The video describes how the burning of non-recyclable waste by illegal factories releases toxic chemicals such as mercury, dioxins, and polychlorinated biphenyls into the air, causing health problems for local residents and environmental damage.

💡New Plastics Economy

The new plastics economy refers to a vision where plastic never becomes waste, promoting a circular economy for plastics. The video features Sarah a strand from The Ellen MacArthur Foundation, who discusses the need to fundamentally rethink plastic packaging design to ensure it can be recycled or reused, thus reducing waste and promoting a more sustainable plastics economy.

💡Anti-Plastic Legislation

Anti-plastic legislation refers to laws and regulations aimed at reducing plastic waste and promoting more sustainable alternatives. The video suggests that the recycling crisis could serve as a wake-up call for governments to invest in domestic recycling infrastructure and enact legislation to reduce plastic use and improve recycling rates.

Highlights

We throw out around 180 pounds of plastic per person each year, but only 9% of that is recycled.

Since the introduction of curbside recycling in the 1980s, recycling has been hailed as the solution to environmental issues.

For three decades, the U.S. sent ships full of plastic waste to China, where it was recycled into new products.

China closed its borders to 24 categories of recyclable waste in 2017, creating a recycling crisis for the U.S.

In response to China's ban, the U.S., Europe, and Japan began sending plastic waste to Southeast Asian countries.

Malaysia imported about 435 million pounds of plastic scrap from the U.S. in 2018, overwhelming local recycling facilities.

Countries like Malaysia are struggling to manage the massive influx of plastic waste, resulting in environmental pollution.

Illegal plastic waste factories in Southeast Asia are burning non-recyclable waste, releasing toxic chemicals into the air.

The Malaysian government began sending back plastic waste to the U.S. and other high-income countries in 2020.

Malaysia supports adding plastic scrap to the Basel Convention, which regulates the movement of hazardous waste between countries.

The recycling crisis is a wake-up call for high-income countries to take responsibility for their plastic waste.

Experts suggest a need to rethink plastic packaging design, making it simpler and more recyclable.

The current global recycling economy has been permanently changed by China's policy and Southeast Asia's response.

High-income nations must address their waste problem through stronger domestic recycling systems and anti-plastic legislation.

The future of recycling depends on upstream changes in product design to reduce plastic waste from the start.

Transcripts

we throw out around a hundred and eighty

pounds of plastic a year and only nine

percent of that is recycled to make

matters worse we only recycle half of

that in domestic recycling plans

the rest is sent to Asia since the

introduction of curbside recycling in

the 1980s recycling has been hailed as

the answer to our environmental woes and

while the system was never perfect it

evolved into a vast global economy worth

around two hundred billion dollars for

three decades the u.s. sent ships full

of plastic waste to China Chinese plants

would then recycle this waste to use in

the production of new products for the

US this was cheaper than recycling

domestically and for China there was a

high demand from the booming

manufacturing sector but on December

31st 2017 China suddenly closed its

borders to 24 categories of recyclable

waste it through the u.s. into a

recycling crisis as China's economy had

grown it began producing more virgin

plastic and had more plastic of its own

to recycle no longer did it need to

import plastic waste and high income

countries that had relied on China for

decades had a big problem towns are

struggling to deal with piles of plastic

paper scrap metal and other materials

with no clear destination the move has

created a crisis for recyclers here now

facing mountains of materials they can't

get rid of in response the US Europe and

Japan began distributing plastic wastes

to a wider net of poor countries

and basically overnight Southeast Asian

Nations became the world's largest

importers of plastic scrap from January

to November 2018 Malaysia imported about

435 million pounds of plastic scrap just

from the US imports of plastic trash

doubled in Vietnam and increased by a

whopping one thousand three hundred and

seventy percent in Thailand this massive

increase in waste imports has left

countries like Malaysia scrambling and

overwhelmed a University of Georgia

study found that Malaysia mismanaged 55%

of its own plastic waste these

inefficiencies have only been magnified

as imports have increased the plastic

thing cannot be recycled you would just

end up in awkward Monday also dummy in

some rural area such as thank you Hank

yeah Chan is a Greenpeace activist based

in Malaysia he sees the effects

firsthand and that is why he closes on

water and also soil pollutions in some

illegal facility that processing plastic

wastes local committee member were

complaining about the increased risk of

the air pollutions because the illegal

operator didn't are complying with all

these around with all regulations the

result has been devastating on local

towns illegal factories burn non

recyclable waste by the container

filling the air with toxic chemicals

like mercury dioxins and polychlorinated

biphenyls residents in gender ohm told

BBC they experienced rashes and violent

coughing attacks

the Malaysian government has been

cracking down on these factories but in

their wake

mountains of trash remain seeping into

the soil and contaminating waterways

like this one outside of Kuala lumper in

January 2020 Malaysia said that they had

had enough

Malaysian environmental Minister yeah

begin said that they were going to send

plastic shipping containers back to the

US

as of January 20th 2020 Malaysia had

said a hundred and fifty containers back

to their 13 countries of origin since

the third quarter of 2019 for a

long-term solution Malaysia is backing a

2018 proposal from Norway that aims to

add plastic scrap to the list of

materials covered by the Basel

convention the 1992 treaty regulates the

movement of hazardous wastes between

countries it was specifically designed

to prevent developed countries from

sending their waste to less developed

countries but plastic waste isn't on the

list experts say that the recycling

crisis has been a much-needed reality

check for Americans shipping containers

full of waste arriving on our shores

could force the American government to

reinvest in domestic recycling and

in-state further anti-plastic

legislation so in order to solve this

crisis we really need to go upstream and

already start thinking about you know

what how do we even bring products to

people without creating all of this

waste Sarah a strand is a program

manager for the new plastics economy at

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation today we

designed super complicated plastic

packaging so we might even have like

several types of layers of different

materials plastic all glued together we

need to fundamentally rethink how we

create or make the plastic in the first

place in order to make sure that it

actually can be kept look the world's

recycling economy has been forever

changed no longer conditions turn a

blind eye to the plastic waste that

piles up in faraway landfills

after decades of recycling campaigns

that have failed to get people to

recycle more high income nations need to

take responsibility for their own mess

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