Indonesia is the Second Largest Contributor of Marine Plastic Pollution

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): A recent UN study found Indonesia as the second largest contributor to marine plastic pollution, after China. The study blamed excessive consumption of single-use plastics along with lack of necessary waste management facilities as the main reasons.

The report notes that approximately 8 million tonnes of plastic are dumped into the world’s oceans every year. The estimates provided by the Indonesian Institute of Sciences indicate that the country accounts for almost 600,000 tonnes of those plastic. Things have become even worse during the pandemic, with the addition of discarded face masks and other protective equipment to the waste stream.

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The country has several regulations in place to curb plastic waste. The government had earlier announced its commitment to reduce plastic marine debris by up to 70% by 2025. It had also imposed ban on use of single-use plastics in mini-markets. However, plastic bags are still widely used in traditional markets in Indonesia. For instance, many consumer goods companies in the country sell their products for single-use in small plastic sachets, which are not captured by recyclers.

Meantime, the Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry claimed that the country has been successful in reducing marine plastic waste by over 15% between 2018 and 2020.