Asia plastic leakage could rise 70% by 2050: OECD

South China Morning Post

10-08-2025

Plastic waste leakage into the environment in Southeast Asian countries, plus China, Japan and South Korea, could increase by nearly 70 per cent by 2050 from 2022 levels without effective measures to reduce the pollution, according to an OECD report released recently.
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Describing the region as a 'hotspot for plastic pollution', the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development said in its report that mismanaged plastic waste remains a major concern, with 8.4 million tons leaking into the environment there in 2022.
'Informal and unsafe practices, such as open burning and dumping, persist in most Asean countries and China, especially in rural areas,' the Regional Plastics Outlook said, referring to the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Plastic waste is a major environmental issue, polluting rivers and oceans and posing health risks to wildlife and humans as microplastics enter the body.
The OECD projects that annual leakage into the environment in the region could reach 14.1 million tons in 2050, of which 5.1 million tons could reach rivers, coastal areas and oceans.
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Spinning plastic into brooms: the Cambodians on a mission to reduce waste
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The countries in the region differ widely in waste management capabilities, and measures to curb plastics demand remain underutilised in most of them, it said.