WWF Malaysia reported that only 24% of plastics in Malaysia were recycled in 2019. However, the government has set ambitious goals towards the sustainability and circular transition, aiming to achieve a 40% recycling rate by 2025.
AS the research on microplastics and human health advances, it becomes increasingly crucial to understand the implications and harmful effects microplastics may have on our well-being.
Recent research developments show potential risks associated with microplastic exposure. As highlighted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in one blog post titled Microplastics On Human Health: How Much Do They Harm Us? from June last year, current evidence suggests that humans are constantly exposed to microplastics through various sources.
Contaminated seafood, including fish and shellfish, has been identified as a significant pathway for microplastic ingestion (perhaps due to ocean plastic leakage).
More concerningly, microplastics have been detected in tap water, bottled water, and even commonly consumed beverages such as beer and salt.
Surprisingly, studies estimate that the average adult may consume approximately 2,000 microplastics per year through salt consumption alone — further driving home the need to tackle plastic waste.
The presence of these microplastics in our bodies raises concerns about the potential health risks associated with their ingestion and inhalation.
Studies have found that it can lead to endocrine disruption, weight gain, insulin resistance and decreased reproductive health.
However, it is important to note that the exact impact of microplastics on human health is still being investigated, and there are significant knowledge gaps in our scientific understanding.
Expanding initiatives
It’s not all gloom and doom though as efforts are being made to speed up circularity.Last November, Heng Hiap Industries (HHI) — a fully-integrated local plastic recycling company established in 2002 — joined NextWave Plastics to address the issue of the plastics recycling supply chain.
Through this, Malaysia’s Heng Hiap joins the likes of CPI Card Group, Humanscale, IKEA, Solgaard and Veritiv among others to accelerate circular plastic supply chains – keeping more plastic in the economy and out of the ocean.
For context, NextWave Plastics is a consortium of multinational technology and consumer brands to keep plastic in the economy and out of the ocean by developing the first global network of ocean-bound plastic supply. According to HHI chief executive officer Seah Kian Hoe, the company had been looking for an entity aligned with their principles, specifically one that fosters circularity-centric models.
Seah: 'Plashaus ocean, our trademarked smart plastic product, is made from post-consumer plastic waste collected from other sources before they end up in the landfill or the ocean. it is sourced from plastics that are at high risk of entering the ocean if not collected in time, including from shoreline,rivers, banks or landfills.'
“We have found in NextWave a like-minded network of collaborators working together to keep plastic out of the ocean by creating products from ocean-bound plastics.
This is key, as raw recycled material suppliers like Heng Hiap have typically been excluded from product-centric discussions,” he said.
He added that NextWave Plastics offers HHI a seat at the table alongside other stakeholders along the value chain, including multinational companies like Dell Technologies, HP Inc and Logitech.
“We see this opportunity to collaborate as critical to our efforts to accelerate circularity and reduce ocean plastic leakage,” he noted.
HHI has a fully integrated single-chain process, combining all the stages involved in optimising plastic, and maximising productivity, efficiency and quality.
The company sources 2,000 tonnes of ocean-bound plastic and 60,000 tonnes of post-consumer resin annually, exporting their material to 38 countries for a range of applications including furniture, toys, cosmetic packaging and home goods.
The business operates in a closed-loop process of reusing, recycling and reprocessing to create circularity.
“With an internal industrial standard shared by 28,000 independent plastic recycling operators on plastic waste collection, we optimise the process to ensure consistent quality across the board and increased supply chain efficiency,” Seah explained.
“We partner with some of the world’s largest agricultural, automotive and electronic equipment manufacturers including LG, Panasonic and Toshiba, to provide ‘smart plastics’ — a customisable material made out of recycled plastics — for use in a variety of finished products,” he added.
Backing circularity
“Mismanaged plastics is a significant problem, especially in emerging markets in Asia where major investment in waste management infrastructure and solutions are needed,” noted The Circulate Initiative executive director and lead for the NextWave Plastics consortium Michael Sadowski.
“An estimated 11 million tonnes of plastic waste enters the world’s ocean every year, with a significant proportion from Asia, where 15 of the world’s top 20 polluting rivers flow,” he added.
Sadowski: 'Expanding the network to include organisations like Heng Hiap will bring a wealth of knowledge and connections to existing NextWave members who are looking to Asia as a source of high quality, traceable and ethically sourced recycled plastics.'
NextWave Plastics had also welcomed two other members, Ocean Recovery Group and Plásticos Industriales Hondureños SA (PLIHSA) – marking an expansion of NextWave’s geographic reach with HHI headquartered in Malaysia, Ocean Recovery Group operating in the Dominican Republic, and PLIHSA in Honduras.
“The plastic waste crisis will not abate without leadership from companies with a genuine drive to rethink the status quo. We need an all-hands-on-deck solution to the plastic pollution crisis and these global brands have the scale to influence real systems change,” said Sadowski.
Sadowski emphasised that NextWave has a collective goal to divert a minimum of 25,000 metric tons of plastic from entering the ocean by the end of 2025.
Since its launch, member companies have developed product use cases to showcase the viability of integrating ocean-bound plastics into their supply chains.
“Through the end of 2022, we have diverted over 20,000 tonnes, which is more than 80% towards this goal.
“The deepening engagement in Asia is progressing in the right direction, bringing the model of collaboration and knowledge sharing to a region with an acute plastic pollution problem,” he noted.
He added: “From raw material suppliers like Heng Hiap to end-product manufacturers like Dell Technologies, NextWave showcases the strength of cooperation in the industry and how multi-stakeholder involvement can help accelerate the transition to a circular economy for plastics.”
With circularity as the default operating method, Asia could create US$324bil in economic growth and generate 1.5 million jobs in the next 25 years — so there is a huge opportunity to be tapped into to not only address the plastic pollution problem, but capture the full economic value of plastic.
Local knowledge and supply chain networks are crucial to businesses wishing to operate in the region.
