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A new global alliance led by the oil and chemical industry and created to fight the serious plastic waste crisis in Asia has been criticized by environmental groups as a "greenwashing" waterfall.
The "Alliance for the Elimination of Plastic Waste" (AEPW) consortium of more than 30 companies was launched last month and is spending a combined $ 1 billion over the next five years, with the goal of reaching 1.5 billion USD if more conglomerates adhere, in order to develop better recycling of plastic practices and infrastructure around the world.
Its founding members include companies such as Chevron, Dow, Formosa Plastics, Mitsubishi Chemical, Proctor & Gamble, Sumitomo Chemical and Shell.
The group said it would begin in Southeast Asia – including Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam – the four countries that, along with China, are estimated by Ocean Conservancy to generate more than 60% of plastic waste from the oceans.
The alliance announced its partnership with the United Nations, the National Geographic Society and the STOP project in Indonesia, among other organizations.
These companies want to seem to be … preoccupied with plastic pollution, while continuing to produce plastic
Greenpeace Malaysia
When it was launched, Laurent August, vice president of the Veolia waste management company, said that Southeast Asia was the first step because the rapid development and extension of the middle clbad in the region had "changed consumption habits".
"At the same time, there has been a lack of investment in waste management and infrastructure," August said. He added that the group would work with a project called Circular Capital to provide financing to entrepreneurs in Southeast Asia wishing to develop collection and treatment sites for recycling plastic waste.
Almost immediately, the alliance drew the attention of regional environmental groups to the intent and location of the campaign.
"We have reasons to be skeptical about the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, which has just been launched and which is being led by the chemical and plastic industries. The conflict of interest is obvious, "said Daniel Alejandre of the EcoWaste Coalition in the Philippines.
"Can we hope that this alliance will abandon single-use plastics in favor of sustainable packaging and distribution systems that conserve resources and prevent the chemical and plastic pollution of our oceans? The answer is probably no. "
He also added, "We are also worried that their billion-dollar pledge will only be used for cosmetic waste management projects to hide the real problem and block the real solution.
"AN ASIAN PROBLEM"
Since China banned plastic waste imports in January 2018, Southeast Asia has become the world's landfill. For example, Thailand recorded a 2000% increase in its US plastic waste imports in the first half of 2018.
In November, Greenpeace Malaysia issued a statement: "The Malaysian plastic recycling industry is overwhelmed by the influx and can not process waste in a sustainable and acceptable manner according to the government's own standards." The group said Malaysia had become a plastic recycling bin in more than 19 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.
"It seems that the illegal entry of plastic waste from abroad under the pretext of recycling has compounded our problems," said Alejandre of the EcoWaste Coalition, based in Manila. "We found that plastic waste banned from entering China was now sent to South-East Asian countries, including the Philippines, for recycling – but it is rarely recovered or recycled."
Korean customs data show that waste exports to the Philippines increased from 4,398 tons in 2017 to 11,588 tons in 2018 after the ban in Beijing.
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According to Greenpeace Malaysia, 90% of plastic waste is exported from high-income countries, but only 9% is recycled. About 12% are burned, and the rest – about 80% – ends up in landfills, oceans or the environment.
Southeast Asian governments have begun to react. In recent months, the Philippines has twice returned plastic waste exported from South Korea. In July, Vietnam banned new waste import licenses and took action against illegal transfers. In October, Thailand announced that it would stop plastic waste imports by 2021 and Malaysia announced that it would permanently ban plastic waste imports within the same time period.
AEPW, which brings together some of the world's biggest plastics giants, said it was created to fight this problem.
"Everyone agrees that plastic waste should not belong to our oceans or anywhere in the environment. It's a complex and serious global challenge that calls for quick action and strong leadership, "said David Taylor, CEO of Procter & Gamble and President of AEPW, in a launching statement.
"This new alliance is the most comprehensive effort to date to eliminate plastic waste in the environment."
But the environmentalists had none.
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"We view this alliance as a greenwashing operation. It's like the firefighters who lit the fire, "said Tom Zoete, a Brussels-based spokesperson for Recycling Netwerk, referring to the practice of an industry or company trying to look greener than she really is.
"With regard to Southeast Asia, two solutions are possible. You could argue that you could make a bigger difference in countries that have not developed waste disposal systems.
"But we think there is another program: focusing on Southeast Asia is a way to tell the United States and Western Europe that this crisis is far away – this is Is an Asian problem. "
A mad silence
Among the many detractors of AEPW, the most virulent was Greenpeace, the watchdog of the environment based in Amsterdam.
His affiliate in Malaysia told the To post that many of the members who pledged $ 1 billion to fight plastic waste also "invested $ 186 billion between 2010 and 2017 in new plastic production facilities".
"These companies want to appear as ecologists concerned about plastic pollution, while continuing to produce plastic for profit. Fossil fuel companies plan to increase their plastic production by 40% in the coming years, locking us into decades of increasingly serious plastic pollution, "said the group in an email this week to To post.
"Companies are trying to look green, but we know that it's really about protecting their bottom line. For starters, the only way to keep plastics out of our environment is to stop producing so much. "
Graham Forbes, director of Greenpeace Global Plastics, was even more forthright when creating the AEPW: "This is a desperate attempt by polluting companies to maintain the status quo on plastics. Make no mistake: plastics are a lifeline for the endangered fossil fuel industry, and today's announcement shows how far businesses will go in preserving it. "
However, Laurent Auguste, director of Veolia, reportedly said that the AEPW was not limited to taking "noble commitments" before returning to the plastics industry. And Peter Baker, chief executive of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, called the AEPW's campaign "unprecedented in size, scope, position and geographic extent."
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"History has shown us that collective action and partnerships between industry, governments, and NGOs can bring innovative solutions to such a global challenge," said Bob Patel, Executive Director. LyondellBasell and Vice President of AEPW.
"The issue of plastic waste is perceived and felt around the world. We must fix it and we think that the moment to act has come. "
Despite everything, despite accusations of greenwashing, the AEPW remained silent. It has made few public statements since its launch and multiple requests for comments from the To post have been ignored.
Silence has left some industry insiders wondering what the next step is.
Steve Alexander, president of the Association of Plastic Recyclers, pointed out that such industry-led campaigns had already existed for 30 years. This time, he said, the AEPW seems "aware of the situation in Southeast Asia and its goal is quite direct".
"An immense anti-plastic feeling that has spread. They are very aware of the situation, "said Alexander.
"What intrigues me is that the big brands have aligned themselves with the project. And even if they will not really be affected if it does not work, it makes a big difference. They admit it and are the face of it: they wash their heads.
"It's a good start," he said. "Of course it's better not to do anything."
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