Day: June 13, 2022

Malaysia wants to get rid of single-use plastic by 2030. Bioplastics may help it get there.

Goodbye, single-use wrap; hello, bioplastics. Malaysia’s ambitious roadmap to phase out single-use plastics by 2030 faces challenges such as food waste and rising food prices. Bioplastics could be the answer – but they will need to be developed, managed and disposed of with care.

Traditional petroleum-based plastic packaging is strong, versatile and durable but not fully recyclable or biodegradable. It contributes approximately 5.4 percent of global food-system greenhouse gas emissions – far more than any other part of the supply chain, including transportation. Without effective packaging, though, food waste may increase. And it’s already a big problem: Malaysia wastes 17,000 tonnes of food daily. Every kilogram of food thrown into landfill produces the equivalent of 2.5 kilograms of greenhouse gas.

It leaves policymakers to choose between the two evils of plastic-waste emissions and food-waste emissions.

Malaysia’s roadmap encourages local industries to embrace biodegradable and compostable plastic alternatives. These products protect food as effectively as petroleum-based plastics, but they are designed to degrade in a controlled environment of high temperature and sufficient oxygen and require industrial composting.

Plastic alternatives not fully broken down and composted will simply end up in landfill, so their biodegradability needs to be verified to ensure they do not pose an environmental hazard. Alternatively, a nationwide integrated waste-management system is needed to process plastic-alternative waste. The current sustainable packaging alternatives are biodegradable polymers derived from natural sources (carbohydrates, proteins and fats) or synthesised from renewable materials (microbial production, plant biomass).

These biopolymers are safer alternatives for human health and the environment. Compared to traditional petroleum-based plastics, though, biopolymers cost up to three times as much to make, which has limited the growth of the biopolymers market.

A research group at Monash University Malaysia is working to produce affordable biopolymer film using renewable raw materials. Biopolymer-based packaging materials decompose quickly and do not produce toxic compounds. Cost and scale have prevented widespread use of these materials so far, but biopolymers derived from natural sources could ultimately be a cheaper plastic alternative.

Malaysia has been slow to adopt biopolymer-based packaging. Evidence-based studies and new biopolymer-based products are needed before plastic alternatives will appear more often in the food industry.

Support from manufacturers, suppliers and business operators is essential if Malaysia is to achieve the goal of its roadmap by 2030. Industries could work with government, research institutes and universities to drive the growth of commercial products using biopolymers.

Thoo Yin Yin (ORCID 0000-0002-2581-1112) has teaching and research responsibilities in food science and technology. She is a researcher at Monash University Malaysia with expertise in biopolymer-based packaging and alternative methods of preserving and processing food.

Source: 360Info

Millions of tonnes of food are wasted in Indonesia every year. Social movements are filling a policy void and hungry stomachs.

Every Indonesian throws away an average of 2.1 million rupiah (US$145) worth of food each year. While that might not sound like much, when it is multiplied by 273 million people, the total is astronomical: close to 330 trillion rupiah ($US22.8 billion). Food waste is the largest category of waste in Indonesia. Despite this, it remains a little-known issue, leaving charity groups to find a solution.

Food waste is a ‘wicked’ problem: it is unstructured, cross-cutting and relentless. Its exact causes and impacts are hard to identify, numerous groups are involved from farm to fork, and commitment from individuals, businesses and agencies is needed to solve it. The economic loss from food waste costs Indonesia as much as 551 trillion rupiah (US$38 billion) per year, according to the Indonesian government’s National Development Planning Agency.

Food that is never eaten wastes the resources used to grow it, harvest it and bring it to market. In landfill, food waste decomposes into methane gas, which contributes to climate change. It is also a more immediate danger: 12 years ago an explosion of methane gas from decomposing food waste caused a landslide at the Leuwi Gajah landfill, killing 143 people.

Plastic waste has a much higher profile. But changes in food packaging have added to the complexity of waste management. The shift from traditional to modern, non-biodegradable food packaging was made to meet consumer needs on a large scale and make packaged food more durable. But it happened without adequate waste-management infrastructure. Several attempts to campaign for programs to reuse, reduce, recycle and also sort organic from non-organic waste have not resolved waste-management problems.

The National Development Planning Agency has acknowledged the issue of food waste and loss and has introduced a framework to address it, integrated into its Low Carbon Development policy as a priority programme for 2020–24.

But with government intervention not yet visible, social initiatives such as food banks, food sharing and utilising technology applications have sprung up to fill the gap. Their big, shared goals are to rescue and redistribute decent food, avoid sending leftovers to landfill and feed the many people in Indonesia who are undernourished.

Garda Pangan is a pioneer in food management. As in many places, it is customary in Indonesia to serve a lot of food at weddings, which results in a lot of waste. Garda Pangan collects the surplus for distribution to people in need or processes it into compost or animal food. It also runs a gleaning programme in the agricultural sector, collecting crop residues that are still edible.

Another example is Surplus Indonesia, which has developed an app to connect the general public with partner shops or restaurants that have surplus or unsold food.

FoodCycle distributes surplus food from restaurants, weddings and vendors of fast-moving consumer goods to people in need. It also reprocesses leftover food into new food products.

Lack of widespread information about these social movements and low awareness in the general public regarding food waste remain as challenges, but these social initiatives have fostered solidarity among those in the know as they strive to unravel the wicked problem. The vision of achieving a zero-waste lifestyle while helping to eradicate hunger may one day be achievable.

Source: 360Info

As locked-down citizens plodded through COVID with their home-delivered meals, a new waste stream was created. It’s time to start cleaning it up

Netflix and takeaway food became the go-to in many countries during the pandemic. Faced with extended lockdowns, people hunkered down with a good series and some chow. But the effect of all that takeaway was felt in landfills around the world. In the United States, waste-management association SWANA estimated the volume of residential waste had increased by 20 percent, in part due to online delivery services. In Japan, the city of Tokyo experienced a 3.1 percent increase in household waste.

Waste from food production – agriculture, processing and distribution – tends to be regulated. Packaging regulations aim for food protection or increased storage times. Food producers weigh up economic and commercial considerations to avoid excessive use of materials.

But packaging in the online delivery system has no standards, especially in developing economies. As takeaway apps grow increasingly common, many countries face new environmental challenges. Online food orders generate waste at the restaurant from the original packaging. Then during delivery, vendors often pack the food with extra layers to ensure consumers receive their order with consistent quality and quantity. These extra layers can be cardboard boxes, styrofoam, plastic bags, bubble wrap, plastic boxes, and tape. They may or may not be recyclable.

Despite the media excitement about electric vehicles, these represent less than 5 percent of the global vehicle fleet. As a result, home delivery often depends on fossil-fuel-powered vehicles. The greater the distance between consumer and vendor, the greater the carbon footprint of food delivery.

Food and packaging waste consists of organic components – mostly food scraps – and inorganic components. The inorganic part is plastic in various sizes and types, often with colours, stickers, adhesives or other labels. Despite being an organic material, cardboard is often categorised as inorganic. People with traditional lifestyles in remote areas are more likely to produce organic waste than those in urban areas living on higher incomes. Waste from urban areas tends to have more inorganic content.

The complexity of plastic waste often causes problems in recycling and waste processing. Identifying and separating the various kinds of plastic and managing their different recyclabilities is challenging. The easiest solution in many parts of the world is to send it straight to landfill.

Integrated waste management is the vital lesson for food waste and its packaging: waste must be managed from source to landfill. Various waste-treatment technologies are available, but waste avoidance or reduction is the best choice. For example, reducing food packaging for online deliveries can be done by implementing standards and education for food producers and packaging companies. The discovery of new materials can also help reduce food and packaging waste.

Recycling is critical because the waste in the food production and delivery system is mostly plastic and paper. Cooperation between residents and various franchises, delivery services and food vendors will encourage waste to be separated appropriately. Waste-collection points can be an effective solution. At collection points the plastic and paper waste has less contamination from the food, which remains at home. Separating waste improves options for waste processing further down the line.

In developing economies, informal kinds of work can become essential. Garbage pickers in Indonesia, for example, can recycle nearly 50 kilograms of waste per day, making a monthly income of US$92. Studies suggest garbage pickers should be part of the formal waste-management system to increase recycling, minimise environmental impact, and improve social welfare.

Reducing food loss, food waste and packaging can alleviate the global food imbalance, feed hungry people, and reduce disposal expenses, energy costs, and food production and labour costs. As the world emerges from the pandemic, these are issues that need to be tackled.

Source: 360Info

Bengkulu, Indonesia

Event Date : Sun, 12 Jun 2022

AHADID : AHA-FL-2022-000653-IDN | GLIDE Number :

Impact Update Date : Sun, 12 Jun 2022 10:10:31

AFFECTED AREA/S

Bengkulu Utara

DESCRIPTION

Chronology : Triggered by high intensity rain in Kab. North Bengkulu for 3 consecutive days resulted in flooding on Sunday, 12 June 2022, Pkl. 02:00 WIB. BPBD Kab. North Bengkulu coordinates with Lais Police to carry out emergency handling by installing Police Lines at 4 locations where landslides occur so that road users are more careful. Elements involved : BPBD Kab. North Bengkulu, Police & community

Source: ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance

Sulawesi Barat, Indonesia

Event Date : Sun, 12 Jun 2022

AHADID : AHA-FL-2022-000652-IDN | GLIDE Number :

Impact Update Date : Sun, 12 Jun 2022 10:08:09

AFFECTED AREA/S

Mamuju

DESCRIPTION

Chronology : Triggered by a fairly high intensity of rainfall on Sunday, June 12, 2022, Pkl. 15.00 WITA upstream accompanied by the overflow of several rivers caused by blockage of tree trunks and unstable soil structure

Efforts: BPBD Kab. Mamuju coordinates with relevant agencies to carry out monitoring, data collection and evacuation. Elements involved : BPBD Kab. Mamuju, TNI/POLRI, local OPD & volunteers

Source: ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance

The political crisis unleashed in Myanmar following the 1 February military coup last year, has “opened new frontlines that had long been at peace,” the UN Special Envoy told the General Assembly on Monday, noting that challenges in the country have “both deepened and expanded dramatically.”

Noeleen Heyzer said that since she took up the job six months ago, Myanmar has “continued to descend into profound and widespread conflict”.

Already one of the world’s largest refugee emergencies, she reminded that multidimensional crises there have left over one million internally displaced people (IDPs) across the country with “serious regional and international ramifications”.

Nearly one million mainly Muslim Rohingyas live in refugees camps in neighbouring Bangladesh, and hundreds of thousands of others are scattered across the region.

‘Disillusioned’ generation This crisis has resulted in collapsing State institutions, disrupting social and economic infrastructure – including health, education, banking, food security and employment – while increasing criminality and illicit activities.

And over the past five years, the number of people living in poverty has doubled to encompass half the population.

“Today, 14.4 million people, or one-quarter of the entire population of Myanmar urgently require humanitarian assistance,” said the Special Envoy.

At the same time, following the COVID-19 pandemic and political crisis, school enrolment has dropped by up to 80 per cent in two years, leaving at least 7.8 million children shut out of the classroom.

“A generation that benefitted from the democratic transition is now disillusioned, facing chronic hardship and, tragically, many feel they have no choice left but to take up arms,” she warned.

Conflict, the norm

As military violence and distrust have continued to deepen, including against peaceful protestors, armed conflict “has become the norm” for all Burmese.

“The military continues its disproportionate use of force, has intensified its attack on civilians and increased operations against resistance forces, using aerial bombings,” said the senior UN official. “Civilian buildings and villages have been destroyed by fire and internally displaced populations have been attacked”.

Meanwhile, there are reports of up to 600 armed resistance groups, or “people’s defense forces” engaged in fighting, with some conducting assassinations targeting those seen as “pro-military”.

Feel of abandonment

Ms. Heyzer said she was continuing to work closely with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to de-escalate hostilities.

However, she pointed out that continued differences, regionally and more broadly among UN Member States, “have left the people of Myanmar feeling abandoned in their time of need.”

“I will continue to play a bridging role…in Myanmar, in the region, and the international community to address the protection needs and suffering of the most vulnerable, and to support the will of the people for a future federal democratic union based on peace, stability and shared prosperity.”

Remembering the Rohingya

Instability and conflict place vulnerable communities at further risk, including the Rohingya.

The Special Envoy has developed a multi-track strategy that focuses on humanitarian and protection needs; a return to civilian rule; effective and democratic governance; and durable solutions for the Rohingya – the majority of whom fled following violent persecution by Government forces in 2017, characterized by the then UN human rights chief as a text-book example of ethnic cleansing.

“Sustainable solutions for the Rohingya people must be built into the design of a peaceful, inclusive and democratic Myanmar,” she said.

‘Face of human tragedy’

In direct contact with the Burmese people, Ms. Heyzer said: “I have learned the face of human tragedy behind these figures.”

Rohingya refugee women shared with her how prolonged camp displacements in Bangladesh and elsewhere, have affected their daily lives and limited opportunities to build skills and livelihoods.

They also mentioned that camp shops in Cox’s Bazar and community-run learning centres have shuttered.

“Women also told me of the many protection risks that face women and girls, including trafficking, child marriage and sexual violence”, she stated. “They described how the lack of accountability has normalized violence against women and girls in the camps.”

Durable solutions

Ms. Heyzer advocated for “integrated and inclusive humanitarian, peace and development action” to strengthen rights and support Rohingya.

Turning to the Rakhine Advisory Commission, which aims to improve conditions in Rakhine state, from which many Rohingya fled north across the border, she told the General Assembly that she supported their recommendations for changes at both a “vertical” level – involving the de-facto authorities, pro-democracy actors and the separatist ethnic militia known as the Arakan Army – and the “horizontal”, such as grassroots initiatives that promote inclusivity, peaceful co-existence, and equality for all.

Ultimately, she said, it was “Myanmar’s responsibility” to address these fundamental issues.

Source: UN News Service