Myanmar Sees an Alarming Increase in Plastic Waste, Especially from Western Countries

With the annual global plastic production surging past 460 million metric tons, a drastic increase since the start of the century, waste disposal has become a significant challenge. Fields in Shwepyithar, once lush and green, are now choked with discarded plastics. As a resident poignantly remarked, what once was a source of fresh watercress has now turned into a ground emitting an unpleasant odor due to the waste.

A recent collaborative investigation by Lighthouse Reports has discovered that some of the plastic waste dumped in Myanmar comes from Western countries. Packaging from products like Danone yogurt, Spomlek’s cheese, and even items from the German-owned UK supermarket, Lidl, have been found. Surprisingly, these items have found their way to Myanmar, bypassing the nation’s law that bans the import of plastic waste unless it’s ready for recycling.

After China stopped accepting foreign plastic waste in 2018, such unregulated dumping seems to have diverted to places like Myanmar. The exact channels through which these plastics enter the country remain obscure. The investigation points to Thailand as a significant route for these illegally exported plastics. The porous border between the two countries, spanning about 2,400 kilometers, makes it easy for traffickers to operate with little oversight.

While companies express disappointment upon learning about their products ending up in unintended places, it brings up larger systemic issues. As Willie Wilson from Interpol’s Pollution Crime Working Group said, there’s a “fog of mis-declared, missing data,” offering a “license to hide in plain sight.”

As Myanmar grapples with political turmoil post the 2021 coup, protesting against such dumping becomes perilous. Locals can only watch as their cherished spaces, like a once-planned football field, morph into mounds of plastic waste, feeling helpless against the tide.

Solution Not Pollution Sweatshirt by Tiny Rescue: Climate Collection

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