Eco-Business

Close to half of the country’s waste is handled by vulnerable informal recyclers, so how much can a national framework really do?

The government aims to make the island a regional hub for resource efficiency, in line with a 2050 roadmap for industrial transition as the sector grows faster than European peers.

The position had been vacant for four months amid a deadlock in negotiations for the treaty to curb global plastic pollution.

Without a holistic ecosystem and complementary policies, the country’s attempt to crack down on public littering through fines may only deliver short-term compliance and not lasting behavioural change.

By Robin Hicks

By Rhick Lars Albay

By Taejun Kang

Thomson Reuters Foundation

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The treaty negotiations risk repeatedly stalling unless the decision-making process is overhauled, argues INC-5 observer Terese Teoh. By Terese Teoh

Restricting primary or virgin plastic production would constrain economic growth and industrialisation, India argued at the recent plastic treaty talks. But its opposition to production caps may turn out to be more damaging than beneficial. By Sherley Hepsiba Dokiburra

Critical minerals recovered from e-waste through established recycling systems can become a vital domestic source of essential minerals for India. By Vaibhav Chowdhary, Animesh Ghosh and Debraj Bhattacharjee

Vietnam has ambitious targets to tackle the challenge posed by plastic waste. Effective enforcement and implementation are key for success. By Nguyen Khac Giang

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The impact documentary exploring Asia's mounting waste crisis – and its solutions – is now streaming exclusively for Eco-Business subscribers.

Launched as policymakers lock horns with petrochemicals lobbyists over a treaty to end plastic pollution, the documentary produced by Eco-Business asks why opportunities to solve humanity's waste crisis are being wasted. It will premiere in Singapore and screen on the sidelines of the upcoming COP28 climate summit.

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A small-scale miner in Bicol, Philippines

Critical minerals will be central to this year’s Asean meetings, said environment assistant secretary Noralene Uy, as the Philippines ushers the region towards domestic processing as summit chair.

L'Occitane's Asia Pacific director of sustainability Venisa Chu

The Asia Pacific ESG head of the B Corp-certified cosmetics firm says refill stations have been disappointing and getting suppliers on board with decarbonisation is difficult, but her team has not been affected by the ESG backlash.

Trash piled high at the Bantar Gebang landfill in Bekasi, near Jakarta.

The head of waste management non-profit Ocean Recovery Alliance tells the EB Podcast that recycled content mandates will drive the circular economy better than caps on virgin plastic production. Brands should be pressured more than petrochemical producers to phase out unnecessary plastics, he says.

A beach in Balikpapan, Indonesia's "oil city", is covered in plastic trash.

Speaking from the INC-5.2 talks in Geneva, the Singapore Youth for Climate Action president argues that having no treaty is better than a watered-down pact with no limits on plastic production. But there is no explicit Asean-wide support for such caps now, she observes.

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