The Importance of Circular Waste Management Systems in Reducing Pollution
Plastic pollution of oceans and seas is a growing global crisis, with an estimated 9 million tonnes of plastic being dumped into the world’s waterways each year. As plastic production and consumption continue to rise, the amount of mismanaged plastic waste leaking into the environment has increased exponentially. This has led to a dramatic increase in suspended microplastics over the past two decades, with projections indicating that plastic pollution could triple by 2030 without significant reductions in production, consumption, and disposal.
The consequences of this pollution are severe, resulting in the formation of massive garbage patches, loss of marine biodiversity, and changes to the microclimate of water environments. While the packaging industry accounts for 47% of global plastic use, the largest producer is China, which generated 32% of the world’s plastic in 2020.
To address this crisis, a shift towards circular economy (CE) principles is crucial. By improving waste and materials management, the introduction of CE will help to reduce the amount of microplastics released into the environment and prevent plastic waste from being dumped at sea. CE aims to maximize the amount of materials circulating in the economy, reduce the use of new raw materials, and prevent waste.
This article examines the trends in waste management and plastic waste recycling in four key Asian countries – Japan, China, South Korea, and Singapore – and explores their future objectives and recent policies. All four countries have different decision-making processes, levels of environmental awareness, and economic circumstances, but a common feature is that their waste management policies strongly address plastic emissions and recycling.
Waste Management Policies in Japan, China, South Korea, and Singapore
Japan has had a number of recycling laws in place since the 1990s, starting with the Containers and Packaging Recycling Law in 1997, followed by the Basic Law for the Development of a Circular Society in 2000, which introduced the concept of the ‘3Rs’ (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle). In 2019, the Resource Circulation Strategy for Plastics was published, and the Law for Promotion of Resource Circulation of Plastics entered into force in 2021, aiming to promote the recycling of plastic resources at each stage of the product life cycle.
China, the world’s second most populous country and largest developing economy, has been working to improve solid waste management through various laws, regulations, resolutions, and notices since the revision of the Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Prevention and Control of Environmental Pollution by Solid Wastes in 2020. The government wants to move the plastics and packaging industry towards sustainability, environmental protection, and recyclability.
South Korea’s first waste management regulation was the Waste Management Law of 1986, which introduced the ‘3Rs’. This was followed by the Act on the Promotion of Saving and Recycling of Resources in 1992 and the Waste Control Act in 2010, which helped enforce the polluter pays principle and introduced extended producer responsibility (EPR).
In Singapore, waste management aims to create a solid waste recycling society through the ‘3Rs’. The Environmental Public Health Act (EPHA) was first enacted in 1987, followed by the Environmental Pollution Control Act (EPCA) in 1999. The Resource Sustainability Act 2019 has a separate chapter on packaging waste and the requirements for submitting a ‘3Rs’ plan. Singapore’s first Zero Waste Master Plan maps out the country’s key strategies for a sustainable, resource-efficient, and climate-resilient future.
Trends in Waste Management and Plastic Waste Recycling
Looking at the available data, we can see the following trends in the four countries:
Japan:
– Slight decrease in household waste generation over the years, with a recycling rate around 20%, well below the amount of waste generated.
– Plastic waste generation has decreased by almost 11%, and recycling rates are above 80%.
China:
– Steady increase in waste generation until 2019, followed by a decline in 2020, but then an increase again in 2021.
– Plastic waste generation has fluctuated, with recycling rates ranging from 20-30%.
South Korea:
– Increasing trend in waste generation, but recycling rates are around 85%.
– Steady increase in both plastic waste generation and recycling, with recycling rates around 57%.
Singapore:
– Decrease in both waste generation and recycling until 2020, then an increase again in 2021.
– Weak performance in plastic waste recycling, with rates around 5-6%, while plastic waste generation has increased by 15%.
Future Targets and Mitigation Scenarios
The four countries have set the following targets for 2030:
- Japan: 25% reduction in single-use plastic generation and 60% recycling.
- South Korea: 50% reduction in plastic waste and 70% recycling.
- China: 30% reduction in waste generation.
- Singapore: 70% waste recycling rate.
To assess the potential to meet these targets, we developed mitigation scenarios based on the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs). The key findings are:
Japan and South Korea:
– Even with the adoption of circular waste management systems, the plastic waste reduction targets are unlikely to be met, as the forecasts show an increase in plastic waste generation.
– However, the recycling targets could be exceeded, with recycling rates reaching 84% in Japan and 56% in South Korea by 2030.
China and Singapore:
– In the mitigation scenarios, China is projected to fall short of its 30% waste reduction target, while Singapore is likely to come close to its 70% recycling target.
The analysis shows that to effectively cut waste leakage into aquatic environments, a holistic approach is needed, addressing not just plastic waste, but all waste streams through circular waste management systems. This includes increasing collection rates, improving recycling, and diverting waste from landfills and dumpsites.
The Impact of China’s Plastic Waste Import Ban
In 2018, China introduced a ban on importing plastic waste from other countries, a move that directly affected Japan and South Korea, which had been exporting large quantities of plastic waste to China.
- In 2017, Japan exported 749,270 tonnes of plastic waste to China, while South Korea exported 119,570 tonnes.
- After the ban, plastic waste exports from these countries to China decreased significantly, by 91% for South Korea and an unknown amount for Japan.
The ban led to a solid waste crisis in South Korea, as consumers were unable to recycle and did not receive municipal assistance at the time. It highlights the need for countries to develop their own waste management infrastructure and reduce reliance on exports.
Conclusion: The Crucial Role of Circular Waste Management Systems
This research demonstrates the crucial role that the adoption of circular waste management systems plays in effectively cutting the leakage of waste, including plastics, into aquatic environments. The heterogeneity of conditions between and within countries results in different amounts of mismanaged waste and contributions to waste leakage.
Even in a best-case scenario representing a sustainable future (SSP1_MFR), the waste-related Sustainable Development Goals will not be met by 2030, highlighting the urgent need for additional efforts to strengthen waste reduction strategies.
To address this global challenge, actions are needed to develop a standardized reporting framework to monitor waste generation, composition, and flows, and track the implementation of policies and technologies to reduce waste and improve management systems. This will provide better knowledge and information to guide strategies and actions at regional, urban-rural, and waste stream levels.
Ultimately, the transition to circular waste management systems that prioritize reduction, reuse, and recycling is essential to stop waste, especially plastics, from entering our ecosystems in the first place. Collaborative efforts at the local, national, and international levels are crucial to achieving this goal and protecting our precious waterways and marine environments.
