• Plastic waste leakage in East and Southeast Asia could increase by nearly 70% by 2050.
• 8.4 million tons of plastic waste were mismanaged in the region in 2022.
• Ambitious measures could significantly reduce plastic waste and improve management.

A recent report by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) indicates that plastic waste leakage in Southeast Asian countries, along with China, Japan, and South Korea, could surge by nearly 70% by 2050 if effective measures are not implemented. The report identifies the region as a "hotspot for plastic pollution," stating that 8.4 million tons of plastic waste were mismanaged in 2022, illustrating the severity of the issue in these countries, according to South China Morning Post, TRT World, and Anadolu Agency.

The OECD report emphasizes that informal and unsafe practices, such as open burning and dumping, continue to be prevalent across many countries in the region, particularly in rural areas. High plastic consumption, driven by rising incomes, is projected to nearly double in the absence of new policies, with ASEAN member states expected to see a near tripling in plastic use, according to South China Morning Post and TRT World.

Over the past three decades, regional plastic waste has increased significantly, rising from 10 million tons in 1990 to 113 million tons in 2022, with the report projecting annual leakage could reach 14.1 million tons by 2050, of which 5.1 million tons could enter rivers and oceans. Measures such as bans on single-use plastics and increased recycling rates could drastically reduce mismanaged waste by up to 97%, according to OECD estimates presented in South China Morning Post, TRT World, and Anadolu Agency.

As negotiations for an international legally binding treaty on plastic pollution continue in Geneva, it highlights the pressing need for collaborative global efforts to address this escalating environmental crisis, reflecting the urgent situation as reported by South China Morning Post, TRT World, and Anadolu Agency.