Plenary session – Transboundary movement of plastic waste
11.00-12.30
Plenary session – Transboundary movement of plastic waste
11:00 – 12:30
The international trade in plastic waste for disposal and recycling has boomed. Social, economic, and environmental impacts arise as a result of mismanagement and weak accountability, prompting several countries in South East Asia to impose restrictions on scrap plastic imports. This has led to spill over to other countries, and illegal trade persists. A better understanding of waste flows and better management of the waste trade is needed.This session will discuss the plastics waste trade, including the flow of plastic waste into and within the region. Discussants will consider approaches (including technological and policy-led) towards better management of waste trade, as well as enhanced enforcement, research and other aspects to effectively tackle the illegal waste trade.
Moderator:
Discussants:
- Panate Manomaivibool, Lecturer, Mae Fah Luang University
- Michikazu Kojima, Senior Economist, Economic Research Institute for ASEAN (ERIA)
- Jayaprakash Murulitharan, Principal Assistant Secretary, Ministry of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change, Malaysia
- Maria Tsakona, Senior Expert Waste Management, GRID Arendal
- Chaowat Sukulworawit, Thai Customs Department
Presentations
Questions
- What is the current state of knowledge of waste trade in the region, and what are the critical knowledge gaps? How can the knowledge foundation for better decision-making be strengthened?
- Are national legislation and regulations among countries of export, transit and import sufficient, or do they present significant problems of management and enforcement?
- What are the possible options (science, policy, technology, communication, and partnerships) to streamline and strengthen action?
