The East and Southeast Asian regions are recognised today as the biggest contributors of marine plastic pollution, as a result of rapid economic growth coupled with a lack of waste management infrastructure. The problem is under discussion at the ongoing 26th United Nations Climate Change conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, reflecting its urgency and relevance as a leading climate issue. And the situation is getting worse under the COVID-19 pandemic.
The pandemic has changed people’s consumption behaviour, including the exponential increase in personal protective equipment such as surgical face masks, and the shift from eat-in to take-away and delivery for food consumption. From a business viewpoint, it can be a huge advantage to explore new business ideas, but from an environment standpoint, the shift will result in an increasing amount of plastic waste.
To tackle the adverse effects, governments are advocating initiatives such as using alternative materials and applying voluntary extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes. But in reality, businesses tend to avoid such voluntary initiatives.
During the ASEAN on Point Public Forum, co-hosted by the ASEAN Secretariat and ERIA in June 2021, Ms Iris Chang, Regional Head of Sustainability at Grab, one of Southeast Asia’s largest online service providers, said the company has a pilot programme to replace plastic food containers with more sustainable materials, such as paper, which degrade more rapidly. However, the transition has proven to be challenging.
Ms Chang said there are four key aspects that make it difficult for food and beverage merchants to adopt more eco-friendly packaging. First, price, as merchants are sensitive to costs and sustainable containers can cost four to five times more than plastic packaging. Second, design, as many Asian cuisines are covered with sauce and need watertight food delivery boxes. Third, lack of standards for genuinely eco-friendly containers which allows for greenwashing, causing restaurant owners to be unsure which materials are better than plastic. And fourth, the absence of regulatory requirements – restaurant owners can be less motivated to switch their packaging type if it is not mandatory.
A report published by the Changing Markets Foundation found many big businesses have lobbied for these voluntary initiatives as a tactic to delay and derail progressive legislation, while distracting consumers and governments with empty promises and false solutions.
Giving the option to voluntarily adopt eco-friendly business practices is no longer enough. There should be structural incentives for both retailers and consumers to pay more, do more for genuinely eco-friendly packaging. At the same time, disincentives should be applied for non-compliant parties.
Mr Tommy Tjiptadjaja, co-founder and CEO of Indonesian green tech social enterprise Greenhope, told the same forum that while entrepreneurs and innovators are developing new methods and technologies, governments must also work in parallel to provide a holistic and contextual policy framework, as well as a roadmap that considers stakeholder inputs, incentives, and disincentives. Environmentally conscious entrepreneurs should not be left to their own devices and instead should be assured their government is working alongside them.
Government can offer incentives to businesses who participate in positive business practices. Mr Kentaro Inukai, President of Pana-Chemical, an expanded polystyrene (Styrofoam, EPS) recycling system provider in Japan, told the forum that since EPS disposal is costly in Japan and illegal dumping results in costly penalties, Japanese businesses are motivated to invest in adequate machinery for their recycling systems, which can minimise the cost of plastic waste disposal. To further promote this trend and encourage companies to purchase recycling machinery, governments can offer incentives such as subsidies for the acquisition of such equipment, he said.
From the consumer side, Ms Supatchaya Techachoochert, co-founder of Refill Station, the first bulk store in Thailand, said she has witnessed improvements in public awareness of plastic pollution among Thailand society compared to half a decade ago, where such understanding was then dominated by the expat community.
To create momentum for a more sustainable business environment, all stakeholders must be on the same page, and this includes the consumers’ mindset, she said. In conjunction with business sector incentives and disincentives , education and awareness raising is also crucial to change the way consumers choose their suppliers. Offering rewards in the form of discounts, cashback, or special gifts could further translate the mindset into practice.
Such mechanisms can progressively lay the foundation for mandatory initiatives down the line. Well-designed mandatory EPR schemes under progressive legislation could be developed with transparent modulated fees, the polluter-pays principle and reduction targets, and funding for better alternative materials.
The private sector across the region has initiated positive business practices. However, none offer a one-size-fits-all solution. Understanding their strengths and weaknesses as well as informing policy makers of the initiatives that can be effectively implemented in the local context is the key. The pandemic has accelerated the rate by which we generate plastic waste, and we are under increasing pressure to find holistic solutions. Failure to act fast will risk hindering the two regions' efforts to combat marine plastic pollution.
This op-ed has also been featured in Manila Times, The Jakarta Post. Borneo Bulletin, China Daily, and Asia News Network.
Communication Desk
The East and Southeast Asian regions are recognised today as the biggest contributors of marine plastic pollution, as a result of rapid economic growth coupled with a lack of waste management infrastructure. The problem is under discussion at the ongoing 26th United Nations Climate Change conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, reflecting its urgency and relevance as a leading climate issue. And the situation is getting worse under the COVID-19 pandemic.
The pandemic has changed people’s consumption behaviour, including the exponential increase in personal protective equipment such as surgical face masks, and the shift from eat-in to take-away and delivery for food consumption. From a business viewpoint, it can be a huge advantage to explore new business ideas, but from an environment standpoint, the shift will result in an increasing amount of plastic waste.
To tackle the adverse effects, governments are advocating initiatives such as using alternative materials and applying voluntary extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes. But in reality, businesses tend to avoid such voluntary initiatives.
During the ASEAN on Point Public Forum, co-hosted by the ASEAN Secretariat and ERIA in June 2021, Ms Iris Chang, Regional Head of Sustainability at Grab, one of Southeast Asia’s largest online service providers, said the company has a pilot programme to replace plastic food containers with more sustainable materials, such as paper, which degrade more rapidly. However, the transition has proven to be challenging.
Ms Chang said there are four key aspects that make it difficult for food and beverage merchants to adopt more eco-friendly packaging. First, price, as merchants are sensitive to costs and sustainable containers can cost four to five times more than plastic packaging. Second, design, as many Asian cuisines are covered with sauce and need watertight food delivery boxes. Third, lack of standards for genuinely eco-friendly containers which allows for greenwashing, causing restaurant owners to be unsure which materials are better than plastic. And fourth, the absence of regulatory requirements – restaurant owners can be less motivated to switch their packaging type if it is not mandatory.
A report published by the Changing Markets Foundation found many big businesses have lobbied for these voluntary initiatives as a tactic to delay and derail progressive legislation, while distracting consumers and governments with empty promises and false solutions.
Giving the option to voluntarily adopt eco-friendly business practices is no longer enough. There should be structural incentives for both retailers and consumers to pay more, do more for genuinely eco-friendly packaging. At the same time, disincentives should be applied for non-compliant parties.
Mr Tommy Tjiptadjaja, co-founder and CEO of Indonesian green tech social enterprise Greenhope, told the same forum that while entrepreneurs and innovators are developing new methods and technologies, governments must also work in parallel to provide a holistic and contextual policy framework, as well as a roadmap that considers stakeholder inputs, incentives, and disincentives. Environmentally conscious entrepreneurs should not be left to their own devices and instead should be assured their government is working alongside them.
Government can offer incentives to businesses who participate in positive business practices. Mr Kentaro Inukai, President of Pana-Chemical, an expanded polystyrene (Styrofoam, EPS) recycling system provider in Japan, told the forum that since EPS disposal is costly in Japan and illegal dumping results in costly penalties, Japanese businesses are motivated to invest in adequate machinery for their recycling systems, which can minimise the cost of plastic waste disposal. To further promote this trend and encourage companies to purchase recycling machinery, governments can offer incentives such as subsidies for the acquisition of such equipment, he said.
From the consumer side, Ms Supatchaya Techachoochert, co-founder of Refill Station, the first bulk store in Thailand, said she has witnessed improvements in public awareness of plastic pollution among Thailand society compared to half a decade ago, where such understanding was then dominated by the expat community.
To create momentum for a more sustainable business environment, all stakeholders must be on the same page, and this includes the consumers’ mindset, she said. In conjunction with business sector incentives and disincentives , education and awareness raising is also crucial to change the way consumers choose their suppliers. Offering rewards in the form of discounts, cashback, or special gifts could further translate the mindset into practice.
Such mechanisms can progressively lay the foundation for mandatory initiatives down the line. Well-designed mandatory EPR schemes under progressive legislation could be developed with transparent modulated fees, the polluter-pays principle and reduction targets, and funding for better alternative materials.
The private sector across the region has initiated positive business practices. However, none offer a one-size-fits-all solution. Understanding their strengths and weaknesses as well as informing policy makers of the initiatives that can be effectively implemented in the local context is the key. The pandemic has accelerated the rate by which we generate plastic waste, and we are under increasing pressure to find holistic solutions. Failure to act fast will risk hindering the two regions' efforts to combat marine plastic pollution.
This op-ed has also been featured in Manila Times, The Jakarta Post. Borneo Bulletin, China Daily, and Asia News Network.
Communication Desk
