A Vision of Action on Marine Plastic Debris in the Asia-Pacific

On November 10, 2021, the U.S.-China unveiled a deal to strengthen cooperation on climate change, titled “U.S.-China Joint Glasgow Declaration on Enhancing Climate Action in the 2020s”. The two sides, intending to cooperate on “key areas related to the circular economy, such as green design and renewable resource utilization,” has the potential to bridge a new path for the two powers to reshape the future of plastic. Coincidentally, on November 9-10, 2021, at the Symposium on Global Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance 2021, scholars from the Asia-Pacific also highlighted the impacts and potential solutions to the marine plastic issue.

The Asia-Pacific region has trouble managing plastic pollution. Many countries in the region are both enormous producers and consumers of plastics, particularly China and the ASEAN member states. Plastic waste has accumulated in landfills, dumps, and the natural environment, which eventually finds its way to the sea, making it a major contributor to ocean pollution, the harming of marine life and fisheries, and a threat to human health.  Professor Zou Xinqing from Nanjing University makes it clear that the risks to humans and ecosystems from microplastics are only just beginning to be understood, which means that current impact assessments are likely incomplete, leading to potentially irreversible consequences. Asian countries thus share a common need to combat marine plastic pollution while managing the same maritime zone.

The management of marine plastic debris is beyond any single government’s capability since it is linked with cross-border plastic production and waste management. As plastics are used for highly cost-efficient packaging materials, is closely related to certain industries (e.g., packing and oil) and millions of jobs, making it a crucial industry for many developing countries. Even further, the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has contributed significantly to the rising number of single-use plastic products and the oil industry still wants to bet its investments towards single-use plastics. So far, many Asian countries have announced bans or plans to cut the import of waste plastics from developed countries to slow the buildup of plastic waste inside their own borders, in addition to adopting a “one-cut” measure on restraining the use of single-use plastic. However, these measures, while useful, have not entirely solved the issue of single-use plastic waste. It will therefore be necessary to leverage the needs of different countries dealing with plastic waste in order to collaborate with other countries on the issue.

Sharing coastlines means multiple nations must shoulder the same ecological responsibility to target the issue of marine plastic pollution. Fortunately, some recent developments show that this effort is beginning to be underway. Some of these institutional arrangements include international legal regimes like UNCLOS, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Basel Convention, the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), and more. Specialized institutions like UNEP, WWF, and others also provide guidance and expertise. Governments in the Asia-Pacific are making regional efforts to strengthen consensus on combating marine plastic debris. For instance, the East Asia Leaders’ Statement on Combatting Marine Plastic Debris, the Bangkok Declaration on Combating Marine Debris, and the ASEAN Framework of Action on Marine Debris have been adopted one by one in recent years.

Developing countries in the Asia-Pacific cooperate closely with 3^rd party experts to gain more advanced experience and to seek support. With the growing prevalence of the ‘Circular Economy’ concept, advanced projects such as the “Rethinking Plastics – Circular Economy Solutions to Marine Litter” by the EU has partnered with some Asia-Pacific countries. Furthermore, subjects including private sectors are playing an active role in the management process. In China and ASEAN, plastics makers are beginning to transition to biodegradable materials such as corn, sugar cane, and cassava roots to replace traditional petroleum-based products as their governments stress the need to address plastic packaging pollution.

Though Asia-Pacific countries are willing to combat marine debris collectively, challenges prevail, such as a lack of key public goods (e.g., advanced managing strategies and technologies) providers, insufficient instruments to facilitate the compliance of multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs), and an underestimation of the irreversible toxicological effects of plastic emissions in the ocean. Some of the challenges above are possible to address if the U.S and China set a concrete strategic plan for cooperation on climate change under the Declaration. As Susan Thornton suggests in her article, the two (and more) powers could launch a joint survey of the environmental health of the South China Sea for a plastic removal project. Dr. Naporn Popattanachai from Thammasat University believes the key is to reach consensus on data collection and scientific analysis, which is the first step to assess the situation and impact of the plastic life-cycle.

Regional approaches are also important. The ongoing progress of economic integration in the Asia-Pacific makes it possible to have breakthroughs in environmental legislation. One example of this is how the European Union has achieved its environmental policy to avoid trade barriers caused by the different national environmental standards for particular products. On November 15, 2020, ministers from 15 Asia-Pacific countries agreed on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which will enter into force on 1 January 2022, is expected to eliminate tariffs significantly and establish common rules within the region. The potential environmental regulations on plastic-related production and impact solutions could lay the foundation for plastic management in the Asia-Pacific. International and regional funds, including the Environment Fund, ASEAN Fund, Silk Road Fund, etc., can facilitate both the public and private sectors to endorse a pollution-free economy. 

Many Asia-Pacific strategists endorse geopolitical realities and overlook non-traditional security issues. The truth is that non-sensitive topics are appealing to regional actors for promoting practical engagement. According to UNEP, a staggering 8 million tonnes of plastic ends up in the world’s oceans every year, and that oceans could contain more plastic than fish by 2050 if current trends continue. For the sake of the well-being of people living in the coastal areas of the Asia-Pacific, we call for more efforts and coordination on combating marine plastic debris. Collaboration efforts are likely to be shadowed by demarcation disputes and power competition for some time. However, marine plastic pollution does not adhere to borders, making it a common threat that faces all life in the region.

Song Runxi and Wu Lei are both assistant research fellows at National Institute for South China Sea Studies (NISCSS).