Ubiquitious Plastic and Inside Us

According to the Guardian (March 15, 2018) the World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced a review into the potential risks of plastic in drinking water. This was in response to results of analysis of bottled water brands and that more than 90% contained tiny plastic pieces – microplastics. There were other studies which found the same problem with drinking water supply, rivers, marine and seafood. Recent studies into water contamination have found microplastics in 83% of tap water samples from major cities around the world.

 We humans are exposed to microplastics / microfibers through air, water and food. Microplastics include broken-down plastic waste, synthetic fibres and beads found in personal hygiene products. They are known to harm marine life, which mistake them for food, and can be consumed by humans too via seafood, tap water or other aquatic food sources.

Their impact of microplastics comes from their size and thus the ability to evade most filters and maybe even enter the bloodstreams of organisms by which they are consumed.

Response to the Study in Southeast Asia

The news of the Orb Media study broke out last year September 2017 and Malaysian and other Asian local media picked up on the report. Health authorities in Indonesia and Singapore responded and stated that they are following up on this study or plan to assess presence and impact of microplastics in fresh and drinking water – respectively. 

Malaysians also need to know of efforts undertaken by those in the water supply industry sector and relevant regulators to curb the presence of microplastics in drinking water. State governments and local councils need to work alongside national agencies to enforce strict anti-pollution measures to minimize river and marine pollution.

Plastic and Plastic Waste in Malaysia

According to a report published by the Jabatan Pengurusan Sisa Pepejal Negara (JPSPN) in 2011, about  2  million  tonnes  of  resins  for  the  plastics industry  are  produced  locally  in  Malaysia  per  annum  (MPMA,  2010). However, information on plastics wastes and plastics recycling activities from manufacturing industry are very limited, as most of the solid waste studies done are focusing on Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in general, where plastics wastes constitute the third largest waste tonnage, next to putrescibles waste and paper. The survey data indicated, recycling awareness is still poor among the plastics manufacturers in Peninsular Malaysia despite the fact that most of these plastics are recyclable and easy to process. Plastic  producers  on the other hand are  of  the  opinion  that  the  government  is  not doing  enough;  in  promoting  recycling  among manufacturing  business  in Malaysia. 

The easiest and most common plastics to recycle are made of  polyethylene  terephthalate  (PET)  and  are  assigned  the number 1. Once it has been processed by a recycling facility, PET  can  become  fibre fill  for  winter  coats,  sleeping  bags and life jackets. It can also be used to make bean bags, rope, car bumpers, tennis ball felt, combs, cassette tapes, sails for boats, furniture and, of course, other plastic bottles. Number 2 is reserved for high-density polyethylene plastics or HDPE. These include heavier containers that hold laundry detergents, bleaches, milk, shampoo and motor oil. HDPE can be recycled into toys, piping, plastic lumber and rope.

Plastic in the Malaysian Waste Stream and Landfills

“According to studies carried out by Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation (SWCorp), 70% of people know that recycling is good, but they simply don’t practise it,’’. It is estimated materials such as papers, aluminums, plastics, glass and metals make up 55% of municipal waste, while the bulk 45% of municipal waste comes from food waste. The rate of food waste being reused and recycled is relatively low, which is 5%, as opposed to paper, 60% and plastic, 15%.

In early March 2018, about 500 people participated in a Reef Check organized beach clean-up. Volunteers collected nearly 14,000 plastic bottles, 6,200 plastic bags and 1,700 straws from the effort.

A Star report stated that every Malaysian on average throws away 300 plastic bags a year, according to the Malaysian Plastics Manufacturers Association. 

According to a UKM paper published in the International Journal on Advanced Science Engineering Information Technology in 2012, 21% of all waste generated in Kuala Lumpur is plastic and ¾ is still food waste. 

About 300,000 tonnes of garbage are being dumped into rivers yearly in Malaysia. The usual wastes found are floating rubbish tied in plastic bags and polystyrene food containers. The Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) has also found all sorts of junk, including old fridges, discarded mattresses and kitchen utensils, in rivers – which contains components and parts made of plastics.

Human Exposure to Microplastic (MPs)

Seafood products could be a major route of human exposure to MPs. For example, it was estimated that top European shellfish consumers might take up to 11,000 MPs annualy. 

Microplastics were suggested to exert their harmful effects by providing a medium to facilitate the transport of other toxic compounds such as heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) to the body of organisms. Upon ingestion, these chemicals may be released and cause toxicity. Polypropylene and PE were the major recovered plastic polymers in the tested species, which is consistent with their massive production load and demand by various industries. 

In Hong Kong, a Greenpeace study has estimated that the microplastic pollution has found their way back to shores. MPs are found in commonly consumed seafood such as tuna, mussels, lobsters, and oysters. In East Asia, Japan has been found with the highest concentration of MPs; Japan has 27 percent more plastic than anywhere else in the world.

As an outcome of a 2014, Global Oceans Action Summit for Food Security and Blue Growth,  FAO was requested  to  contribute  to studies on MPs specifically  in  fisheries  and  aquaculture. The two main  concerns  were  to  assess  the  potential  impact  of  microplastics  on  consumers’  health and perception, and understand the potential consequences on fish productivity  as  physiological  processes  are  likely  to  be  affected  by  microplastics  (because  of  their  occurrence and of the presence of additives and contaminants contained in the plastic). 

The FAO study summary is as follows - This FAO study is considered work in progress: 

Samples collected so far and scientific literature increasingly and clearly show occurrence of microplastics in fish and shellfish as well as in fisheries and aquaculture products. The interim report concluded that: Adverse  effects  of  microplastics  ingestion  have  only  been  observed  in  aquatic  organisms  under  laboratory  conditions,  usually  at  very  high  exposure  concentrations  that  exceed  present  environmental  concentrations  by  several  orders  of  magnitude.  In  wild aquatic organisms microplastics have only been observed within the gastrointestinal tract,  usually  in  small  numbers,  and  at  present  there  is  no  evidence  that  microplastics  ingestion has negative effects on populations of wild and farmed aquatic organisms. 

In  humans  the  risk  of  microplastic  ingestion  is  reduced  by  the  removal  of  the  gastrointestinal  tract  in  most  species  of  seafood  consumed.  However,  most  species  of  bivalves  and  several  species  of  small  fish  are  consumed  whole,  which  may  lead  to  microplastic  exposure.  A  worst  case  estimate  of  exposure  to  microplastics  after  consumption  of  a  portion  of  mussels  (225  g)  would  lead  to  ingestion  of  7  micrograms  (μg) of plastic, which would have a negligible effect (less than 0.1 percent of total dietary intake) on chemical exposure to certain PBTs and plastic additives. 

Microplastic contamination of aquatic environments will continue to increase in the foreseeable future and at present there are significant knowledge gaps on the occurrence in  aquatic  environments  and  organisms  of  the  smaller  sized  microplastics  (less  than  150  μm),  and  their  possible  effects  on  seafood  safety.  Currently there  are  no  methods  available for the observation and quantification of nanoplastics in aquatic environments and organisms.

Diapers, Sanitary Pads and Plastic

The major raw materials that are used in making a disposable diaper are trees, and crude oil. The components of making a disposable diaper are the following: waterproof wood pulp, and synthetic polyacrylate (Cloth Diapering). In disposable diaper, polyethylene plastic is used and the raw material for this is the oil. Single use sanitary pads and hygiene products also consists plastic.

A Star report in 2016 states that about 3.5 billion disposable diapers went into landfills each year in Malaysia, and that it would take more than 200 years for them to decompose. According to a study by National Solid Waste Management Department, 12% of the country’s landfill waste consisted of disposable diapers.

Government and Policy Makers

United Nations has warned that there will be more plastics than fish in the ocean by 2050. 

High level strategies and policies in Malaysia on low carbon cities, smart cities and communities, clean zone etc must translate to real action on the ground. 

The term ‘plastic’ described by MIMA for the CCI includes any artificial waste made, or partly made, of plastic, including nylon fishing lines, Styrofoam remains, plastic bags in all sizes, polyurethane sheets, bottles and bottle cap, cigarette box and outer cover. Plastic items that are larger than 2 cm in size are included as the index numerator.

The Malaysian Institute of Malaysia (MIMA) established the Clean Coast Index (CCI) as a tool to measure the cleanliness of coastal areas. According to a report on its website, CCI provides a quantitative assessment on the amount, distribution, and composition of randomly generated litter at selected coastal areas. It aids in indicating the level of beach cleanliness and the cleaning activities undertaken by local authorities as well as identifies gaps in coastal area litter management. It focuses on plastics as they are not biodegradable and form the largest component of litter found in coastal areas.

The CCI should be made widely known to the public in order to gain support in promoting the index and to appreciate clean coastal areas. 

Implementation of government policies and strategies must facilitate shift from BAU to more sustainable business operations and public behavior. 

Waste recyclers and recovery business owners often lament about limited materials/feedstock. If tonnes of recyclable and recoverable waste end up in landfills – this is loss of business opportunity for them. Strict enforcement of government policies on separation at source and recycling could help in diverting recyclables to recyclers away from landfills. In Malaysia close to 90% of landfills are unsanitary and several landfills contribute to ammonia pollution of water sources resulting in water treatment plant shutdowns. 

A Universiti Malaya paper highlighted various challenges in the implementation of recycling and separation at source under the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007:

• ·       lack of public participation
• ·       inefficient enforcement
• ·       issues on collection system and informal recyclers
• ·       implementation challenges on non-landed properties and
• ·       lack of proper separation schedule and procedure

A JICA study in 2002 reported that in  many  developing  countries,  informal players in the waste management sector (waste pickers, scavengers etc) can  be  found  on  the  streets  or  in  open  dumps  or  landfill  areas. A Universiti Malaya study showed that about 70% of scavengers at landfills are foreigners. The informal nature of this sector contributes to lack of official data on recovery of and recycling of waste in many developing countries including Malaysia. Waste pickers in Malaysia could be seen collecting recyclable waste at bus stops, illegal dumping sites for example. Some informal sector players travel door to door to purchase household waste items. (remember the old newspaper/ surat khabar lama calling?). Some perceive that these players provide  the  convenience  for  households  to  participate  in  recycling  activities with their door to door collections.

Many in Malaysia still recycle more for economic reasons but there increasing number who do it because of environmental consciousness. In order to improve plastic recycling rate, policy makers should commission studies to recognize ways and motivations for citizens to recycle. Blanket approach will not work as communities are still diverse and policy implementation varies between state, local and federal agencies. Informal players or actors in the solid waste management in Malaysia contribute to improvement in recycling and recovery rate. In some cities and towns they go house to house to collect end of life materials: newspaper, tins, cans, clothing, and sometimes e-waste.

In Surabaya the local council initiated a Surabaya  Green  and  Clean  Initiative. This is  a  community-based  waste  management  program  implemented   by   the   local   government   of   the   City   of   Surabaya   and   covers   various   environmental  aspects,  such  as  domestic  waste  handling,  betterment  of  water  drainage,  and  trees planting. n 2005 the Surabaya City Government created several competitions to popularize and bring the program to wider level. The competition proved to be a success, turning Surabaya to one of the benchmarks in waste management in Indonesia.  participants  received,  as  trophies,  cash,  tools  to  manage  organic  waste  and  trees.  Additionally,  the  people  agreed  that  each  prices  they  won,  will  become  the  seed capital for their settlement improvement. Through the Kesejahteraan Keluarga's (Household Skills Training Organization) network of local women’s organization at every sub-district it was easy to promote community based waste management program and outreach to the local communities. Public-Private partnerships further strengthened the initiatives and Unilever was onboard. Jawa Pos the media was onboard too.

Concluding Remark

Plastic is ubiquitous and we cannot live without plastic being part of our daily lives. The hard reality is whatever we dump into the waterways or into the natural environment comes back to haunt us. 

Those in the consumer protection field always believe that those with the most knowledge and resources of product are also the ones most capable to solve it. In this case the business sector. A lot of resources usually go into market research, lobbying governments and studying consumer behavior – with an end game of increasing profit and safeguard shareholder interests. We cannot be in the BAU (business as usual) mode. Business need to take charge of the situation and minimize environmental impact of their products and services – together. 

Of course, government policies must encourage such initiatives and make it expensive to conduct business as usual. The Ministry of Urban Well-being, Housing and Local Government in Malaysia and the Solid Waste Corporation could help facilitate different capacity building initiatives for local governments, provide access to best practices and exchange of information in order to implement practices most suited for the community under their care. Several local government representatives lament limited resources: fund, skills and qualifications to address solid waste problems in their cities and towns.

Businesses in the FMCG need to acknowledge that they are very much the cause as well as solution to waste problem in Malaysia. As a coalition they can form partnerships with local governments to address solid waste problems in general and plastic and food waste specifically. The administrators of these partnerships should also ensure that there is clear impact of their initiatives otherwise it is another form of resources wasted.

As consumers we can minimize or steer away from single use items: diapers, plastic bags, hygiene products and support ban of microbeads in cosmetics and personal care items. We need to be mindful of the impact of our consumption on the environment. Even confetti and glitters are a threat as they are made of plastic, they are minute and they are for single use.

Put a stop to our ‘tapao’ culture especially drinks. If need to ‘tapao’ bring your own re-usable containers and DO NOT USE OR ASK FOR STRAWS or SINGEL USE UTENSILS when packing your food / drinks. If you know of food outlets using disposable or single use utensils, bring your own re-usable ones when dining there. Recycle ALL plastic materials. 

Bring your own re-usable bag for shopping and minimize single use plastic bags for packing your vegetables or fruits. 

When picnicking near water bodies or in natural locations, bring back your waste to be properly discarded at home. Do not litter the grounds. 

Learn to use re-usable diapers and adult hygiene products. Those born before 1990s must have used re-usable diapers made of cloth. There entrepreneurs in Malaysia who are ardent supporters of Zero Waste and sell re-usable items and provide advice on how to live a Zero Waste lifestyle.