Silliman prof warns plastic consumption to double in 2040

MANILA, Philippines — An expert from Silliman University yesterday warned that plastic consumption in the world will double in 2040, citing an exponential growth in production globally.

“For us to deal with the plastic problem, we have to reduce global aggregate production and consumption of plastic. The amount of plastic being produced today is enormous. It is exponential growth. In less than 20 years, in 2040 we are going to double the amount of plastic we are producing in 2020,” Jorge Emmanuel,  adjunct professor of Environmental Science and Engineering said.

Emmanuel stressed the need to ban the use of single use plastic.

“To reduce plastic, we have to ban non-essential single use plastic. We don’t need straws, we don’t need single use plastic bags. To eliminate unnecessary packaging, we have to redesign our products. We have to practice reuse and refills in the dispensing system to avoid the millions of sachet waste we create in the Philippines every day,” he added.

Emmanuel cited the need to fully implement Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.

“It is a very good law on waste management. If we are going to do it justice, we will already solve between 50 and 60 percent of our problem because we are composting and segregating our biodegradable waste and recycling our recycled waste,” Emmanuel said.

At the same time, he maintained that the waste-to-energy plants or the process of generating energy from waste release pollutants known as dioxins are harmful to human health.

He said that health effects associated with dioxins include cancers, birth defects and miscarriages.

Emmanuel added that thermal waste-to-energy also worsens climate change.

“Waste-to energy incinerators produce total equivalent carbon dioxide 1.7 times more than coal plants, 2.5 times more than oil-fired plants, and 4.2 times more than gas plants for every kilowatt-hour of energy produced,” he said.

Emmanuel said that open dumping, landfills and thermal waste to energy are not the solutions to address plastic waste.