Modernization Theory: Background Emerged in the US during the 1950s and ‘60s… 1.
environmental Since the 1950s, approximately protection ......2019/11/24 · Malaysia emerged as a...
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Since the 1950s, approximately 6,300,000,000 tonnes of plastic waste has been generated, of which... IS RECYCLED 12% IS INCINERATED 79% ENDS UP IN LANDFILLS OR THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT A worker gathering plastic waste collected at one of the 352 trash banks in Surabaya, Indonesia. The waste is then sorted and recycled while organic waste is turned into compost. A young scavenger boy grabs plastic from among tonnes of trash in Anlong Pi in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Dozens of children work every day in the Anlong Pi landfill, which is situated only a few kilometres away from the world-famous Angkor temples. What happens to our plastic trash? Much of the plastic waste is shipped to other countries for recycling. For a long time China had been the main dumping ground, until last year when it enforced plastic scrap restrictions. Called “National Sword”, China’s import bans left nations scrambling to find alternatives. Exporting trash Malaysia emerged as a new major hub for plastic waste imports after China’s decision to ban imports of plastic scrap in early 2018. In 2018, the four biggest exporters of plastic waste — Germany, Britain, the US and Japan — shipped a total of approximately 650,000 tonnes. Importing trash Fishing lines 600 years Glass bottles 1,000,000 years Average human life expectancy 80 years Plastic grocery bags 20 years Tin cans and foam plastic cups 50 years 20 0 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 240 260 280 300 320 340 360 380 400 420 440 460 480 500 520 540 560 580 600 Plastic bottles and disposable diapers 450 years Aluminium cans 200 years Plastic beverage holders 400 years Biodegradation rates of selected items in a marine environment (estimated) PHOTOS: AFP, GETTY IMAGES SUNDAY TIMES GRAPHICS: LIM YONG, MIKE M DIZON, LEE YU HUI Sources: STATISTA, GREENPEACE, GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR INCINERATOR ALTERNATIVES Tonnes per month 1,000,000 900,000 800,000 700,000 600,000 500,000 400,000 300,000 200,000 100,000 United States Japan Germany Britain Hong Kong 2018 “National Sword” by China 16 countries: Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Czech Republic, France, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, The Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain and Thailand 2016 2017 2018 Mexico, The Netherlands, TOP EXPORTERS TOP IMPORTERS Germany Malaysia China*, Hong Kong* Other Asian countries Others Japan US Britain NOTES: The top four exporters of plastic waste represent approximately 50 per cent of global exports. *Most waste imported to Hong Kong is transported on to China. 131,453 tonnes 131,453 240,306 354,141 2,342,992 86,463 18,828 807,689 220,399 100,199 191,873 495,582 204,060 68,586 631,827 102,088 53,644 74,854 407,894 Plastic recyclers, ill-equipped and with little worker protections, sort out the valuable recyclables from the trash at unregulated, and often illegal, facilities The easiest way to get rid of unwanted dirty, unrecyclable plastic waste is to burn it. 4 3 Lower-grade recyclables, often contaminated with trash and non-recyclables, are exported almost always to countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and India, where import regulations and controls are often less stringent. When recycling becomes a dirty business 2 • Licensed plastic recycling companies get the first take of imported plastic scraps, sorting out high-quality, often industrial-grade, plastic. • However, strict environmental protection rules make it unprofitable for factories to process plastic scrap in exporter countries. 1 • A plastic’s quality diminishes each time it is recycled and it has to be discarded eventually. • Overproduction of virgin plastic reduces the market prices for recycled plastic, rendering the recycling business non-viable. Plastic is not forever The human and environment toil • Unusable scraps are collected and burned – out in the open – or sold to cement factories, boilers and the like to be burned as fuel. Burning releases many harmful pollutants such as carbon monoxide and dioxins. • Pollutants that remain in landfilled incinerated ash can leach into the environment. • Toxic factory run-off can pollute rivers and contaminate the soil and groundwater. Majority of the plastic scrap from plastic exports cannot be recycled because... • Non-recyclable plastic such as candy wrappers and plastic-coated paper cups contaminate plastic that is not cost-effective to recycle. • Sorting and separating recyclable components are too labour-intensive and often environmentally destructive.
Transcript of environmental Since the 1950s, approximately protection ......2019/11/24 · Malaysia emerged as a...
Since the 1950s, approximately
6,300,000,000 tonnesof plastic waste has been generated, of which...
IS RECYCLED12% ISINCINERATED
79% ENDS UP IN LANDFILLS OR THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
A worker gathering plastic waste collected at one of the 352 trash banks in Surabaya, Indonesia. The waste is then sorted
and recycled while organic waste is turned into compost.
A young scavenger boy grabs plastic from among tonnes of trash in Anlong Pi in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Dozens of children work every day in the Anlong Pi landfill, which is situated only a few kilometres away from the world-famous Angkor temples.
What happens to our plastic trash?
Much of the plastic waste is shipped to other countries for recycling. For a long time China had been the main dumping ground, until last year when it enforced plastic scrap restrictions. Called “National Sword”, China’s import bans left nations scrambling to �nd alternatives.
Exporting trashMalaysia emerged as a new major hub for plastic waste imports after China’s decision to ban imports of plastic scrap in early 2018. In 2018, the four biggest exporters of plastic waste — Germany, Britain, the US and Japan — shipped a total of approximately 650,000 tonnes.
Importing trash
Fishing lines600 years
Glass bottles1,000,000
years
Averagehuman lifeexpectancy80 years
Plasticgrocerybags20 years
Tin cansand foamplastic cups50 years
200 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 240 260 280 300 320 340 360 380 400 420 440 460 480 500 520 540 560 580 600
Plastic bottles anddisposable diapers450 years
Aluminiumcans200 years
Plasticbeverage holders
400 years
Biodegradation rates of selected items in a marine environment (estimated)
PHOTOS: AFP, GETTY IMAGES SUNDAY TIMES GRAPHICS: LIM YONG, MIKE M DIZON, LEE YU HUISources: STATISTA, GREENPEACE, GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR INCINERATOR ALTERNATIVES
Tonnes per month1,000,000
900,000
800,000
700,000
600,000
500,000
400,000
300,000
200,000
100,000
United States
Japan
Germany
Britain
Hong Kong
2018“NationalSword”by China
16 countries: Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Czech Republic, France, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, The Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain and Thailand
2016 2017 2018
Mexico, The Netherlands,
TOP EXPORTERS TOP IMPORTERS
Germany
Malaysia
China*, Hong Kong*
Other Asian countries
Others
Japan
US
Britain
NOTES:
The top four exporters of plastic waste represent approximately 50 per cent of global exports.
*Most waste imported to Hong Kong is transported on to China.
131,453 tonnes
131,453
240,306
354,141
2,342,992
86,46318,828
807,689
220,399
100,199191,873
495,582
204,06068,586
631,827
102,08853,64474,854
407,894
Plastic recyclers, ill-equipped and
with little worker protections, sort out the valuable recyclables from the trash at unregulated, and often illegal, facilities
The easiest way to get rid of unwanted dirty, unrecyclable plastic waste is to burn it.4
3
Lower-grade recyclables, often contaminated with trash and non-recyclables, are exported
almost always to countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and India, where import regulations and controls are often less stringent.
When recycling becomesa dirty business
2
• Licensed plastic recycling companies get the �rst take of imported plastic scraps, sorting out
high-quality, often industrial-grade, plastic.• However, strict environmental protection rules make it unpro�tablefor factories to process plastic scrap in exporter countries.
1
• A plastic’s quality diminishes each time it is recycled and it has to be discarded eventually.• Overproduction of virgin plastic reduces the market prices for recycled plastic, rendering the recycling business non-viable.
Plastic is not forever
The human and environment toil• Unusable scraps are collected and burned – out in theopen – or sold to cement factories, boilers and the like to be burned as fuel. Burning releases many harmful pollutants such as carbon monoxide and dioxins.• Pollutants that remain in land�lled incinerated ash can leach into the environment.• Toxic factory run-off can pollute rivers and contaminate the soil and groundwater.
Majority of the plastic scrap from plastic exports cannot be recycled because...
• Non-recyclable plastic such as candy wrappers and plastic-coated paper cups contaminate plastic that is not cost-effective to recycle.• Sorting and separating recyclable components are too labour-intensive and often environmentally destructive.
China*, Hong Kong*
Other Asian countries
Others
The top four exporters of plastic waste represent approximately 50 per cent of global exports.
240,306
354,141
2,342,992
• A plastic’s quality diminishes each time it is recycled and it has to be discarded eventually.• Overproduction of virgin plastic reduces the market prices for recycled plastic, rendering the recycling business non-viable.
Plastic is not forever
