https://abc11.com/nc-durham-sanitation-workers-protest-no-trash-pickup-day-3/13754869/ #labor #DurhamNC #SolidWaste #PersonalFinance #protest #SanitationWorker

Well, our garbage was picked up last night or this morning. Recycling & yard waste (the storm-related stuff from August) is still out there. #labor #DurhamNC #SolidWaste https://abc11.com/nc-durham-sanitation-workers-day-2-no-trash-pickup-demand-pay-increase/13750078/

Amazing new article on #Interdependencies between #Transport, #Water, and #SolidWaste #Infrastructure Systems by Poornima Jayasinghe, EIT and Lina Kattan: https://doi.org/10.3390/infrastructures8040076

For #SoutheastAsia, #solidwaste proliferation and increasingly ltd. #landfill space has invited the idea of #WTE incineration as a major solution. Advocates say argue
that 'developed' nations use WTE to harness power as a by-product of the process; But the critiques are salient,
1) Regulatory monitoring, compliance/enforcement of #toxicair releases for #ASEAN nations are ltd. at best.
2) The activity can serve to gaslight the #pollution #impact(s) of #linear #economy.
https://www.eco-business.com/news/rise-of-waste-to-energy-incinerators-in-southeast-asia-draws-concerns/

https://bsquarebulletin.com/2023/01/14/potential-sludge-now-stirring-for-city-county-cost-sharing-on-waste-to-energy-feasibility-study/

#WasteToEnergy #Sludge #MonroeCounty #Bloomington #CityCounty #SolidWaste

The 2022 #EPI categorical #WasteManagement #index gauges a country's self-awareness of threats from #solidwaste and #ocean #plasticswaste, and #recycling need. #Luxembourg ranks 1 w/an index=79.1. Here's how #ASEAN nations ranked and scored,
#Singapore 7, EPI=71.7
#Brunei 38, EPI=59.7
#Malaysia 84, EPI=33.8
#Indonesia 96, EPI=29.5
#Thailand 100, EPI=28.5
#Vietnam 111, EPI=25.6
#Philippines 116, EPI=23.4
#Lao PDR 130, EPI=16.4
#Cambodia 144, EPI=13.7
#Myanmar 167, EPI=8.2
https://epi.yale.edu/epi-results/2022/component/wmg

December 2022 saw Souksaveuy Keotiamchanh win the #Women of the #Future Award #SoutheastAsia in #Singapore. Ms. Keotiamchanh in 2019 founded #ZeroWaste #Laos, a #CSO who partners w/over 100 youth and international organisations, esp. Green Girls of Laos who, through 'capacity-building, knowledge-sharing, and policy advising help raise awareness of #solidwaste management, and work w/#civilsociety to achieve #environmental #sustainability. #SDGs #SDG11 #SDG16
https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2022/12/03/lao-environmental-activist-wins-women-of-the-future-award-in-singapore

In #Indonesia #artistic expression is a #cultural and #spiritual mainstay. Sadly, so to is #solidwaste #pollution. 2019, 210 tonnes of waste shipment from #Brisbane to #Surabaya Port was the impetus for a mobilisation by Indonesian artists in #Australia to protest this action in the form of #art work developed from #plasticswaste. Harnessing the power of #civilsociety & art to help fight #pollution is critical. #plasticology
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcxiiztwVN4
https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/artists-environment-and-truth-telling-in-indonesia
https://aiya.org.au/2019/09/10/art-vs-pollution-indonesian-artists-taking-a-stand/

A recent photojournalism piece showcased a #solidwaste #cleanup initiative of Tonlé Sap Lake by young #khmers
belonging to communities in Pursat Province, #Cambodia. Publicising a new generational awareness of the fight against #wastepollution. Conversely, annual volunteer waste collection efforts, sadly have had little net benefit, e.g., the Khmer nation's 2020 #wastemanagement #EPI issue category score was 0.0, w/a global ranking = 133/180. #p2
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501186996/young-green-warriors/
https://epi.yale.edu/sites/default/files/files/KHM_EPI2020_CP.pdf

2nd only to #China as a #global source of #marine #plasticspollution, #Indonesia generates ~8 million tonnes of #plasticswaste per year (>50% mismanaged), while 13 intertwining rivers in #Jakarta incl. the #Cituram (world's most polluted) are filled w/ #solidwaste ~75% of which is #plastics. That's ~10g per capita, and adds up fast given the city's 10 million residents. This dubious distinction for city & nation further tarnishes the #ASEAN region.
https://www.eco-business.com/news/plastic-accounts-for-three-fourths-of-waste-choking-jakartas-rivers/
https://news.mongabay.com/2022/06/indonesia-should-take-a-leadership-role-in-the-global-plastics-treaty-commentary/

#UNODC in collab. w/ the #EU #UNEP and #UNITAR have begun to publish periodic information bulletins largely highlighting issues and trends w/#illegal #solidwaste #trade happening btwn. EU and #ASEAN violators. Bulletin 1 eyes key challenges in #Indonesia #Malaysia #Thailand #Vietnam,
1.Ltd. tracking/tracing capacity of shipments
2.waste concealment/mislabelling/misdeclaring
3.Insufficient #enforcement capacity
4.Ltd. govt. punitive mechanisms
5.organised #crime
#SDG16
https://www.unodc.org/res/environment-climate/asia-pacific/unwaste_html/Unwaste_Trendspotting_Alert_No.1.pdf

The 2020 #EPI score and rankings tabulation show that among #ASEAN nations only #Singapore and #Malaysia have effective #wastemanagement systems w/scores of 99.6 and 81.4, respectively. 8 other nations in the region score from below 50 to 0. What's peculiar is that according to #ourworldindata Malaysia's per capita rate of mismgnd. #plasticswaste is among the highest in #SEAsia (~60X that of the #LionCity nationstate) which doesn't exactly jibe w/an overall system of effective #solidwaste mgmnt.

A 2022 #UNESCAP report found the #pandemic to have a measurable negative effect on #SDG efforts w/in the #AsiaPacific region. Despite some increases in available indicator data (by country), there remains a global region-wide lag. For South-East Asia there was a nearly 40% absence or insufficiency of data. Also observed was a regional reversal of indicator progress for #SDG6 #SDG11 and #SDG12, UN goals that call for reductions in #solidwaste & other #toxic #pollution.
https://www.unescap.org/sites/default/d8files/knowledge-products/ESCAP-2022-FG_SDG-Progress-Report.pdf

Summer 2022 saw 130 metric tonnes of #solidwaste illegally shipped to #Thailand by a paper producing co. in #Australia. A policy allowance of 'select operations' of #plastics #recycling co.'s in Thailand has offered a legal loophole often exploited by private entities from 'developed' western nations. The violation arose from a signif. % of contam. waste. A new law will heavily curb recycl.plnts, decommission #landfills w/the idea of upscaling waste for #biomass power.
https://www.nst.com.my/world/region/2022/07/817433/thailand-discovers-130-tonnes-illegal-waste-australia

With a 7-fold increase in #solidwaste over the last 40 yrs., and space in #Semakau, (#Singapore's only #landfill) projected to runout by 2035, the country's govt. has developed a nationwide '2030 #sustainability plan' that looks to incorporate a #zerowaste-target masterplan calling for a transition from linear to #closedloop (#cleanerproduction), and #CircularEconomy. #ASEANsustainable #SDG12 #SDG11
https://www.towardszerowaste.gov.sg/zero-waste-masterplan/

Challenges in #solidwaste mgmnt (SWM) (policy vs practical action) was reported in a 2021 study examin. 4 barangays in #CebuCity. 8 SWM measures were eval., Key findings includ.,
1. Inconsistency in waste segr., collection, #recycling
2. Unseparated #toxic and non-toxic waste.
3. Uncollctd. waste openly incin.
4. Ltd. composting edu
5. Absence of incentives/lmtd. fines
6. Widespr. govt. public awareness cmpgns.
7.Ltd.infrastr/training/ resources for proper final disp.
https://ph01.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/aer/article/view/240916

The 2022 'Get Clean and Green' report looks at the state of #wastemanagement in #LaoPDR, and its shortcomings. Key pts. incl.,
1. #Vientiane saw #solidwaste incr. by 66% from 2000 to 2015.
2. 40-60% Vientiane and 80% #LuangPrabang solid waste ended in #landfill.
3. No govt-based #recycling prgm. Industry-based only.
4. COVID-induced decline in recycl. and an incr. in #singleuse #plastics.
5. No centralised wste mngmnt scheme.
6. #WorldBank offers an #NPAP Roadmap #SDGs
https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/099100002182296296/pdf/P17101101230c40bc096bf0a757bd16eb65.pdf

An example of how to combine #fairtrade with #sustainability. #Borneo #Nature Foundation and CIMTROP-University of Palangka Raya have been partnering w/women from the Village of Kereng Bengkirai to create econ. opportunity by purchase of #Purun baskets as a replacement for #plastic polybags, used in cultivating native seedlings to reforest Sebangau Ntnl. Forest. Reducing #solidwaste, #p2, fighting climate chaos, and facilitating econ. liveability all at the same time.
https://www.borneonaturefoundation.org/conservation/back-to-earth-replacing-plastic-polybags-with-purun/

"River pollution is nothing new" [in #SEAsia]. This is an unacceptable commentary almost capitulating the state of #WaterResources and #EcosystemServices throughout #ASEAN. Decades of industrialisation and #urbanisation continue to put immense env. pressure on thousands of km of waterways from #solidwaste, #toxic effluent, heavy trace metals, #pesticides, and more. Evidence broadly pts to an almost entire absence of #sustainability incorp. into econ. growth and dvlpmt.
https://theaseanpost.com/article/southeast-asias-stream-polluted-rivers

#Brunei was recently reported as among the best nations for low #pollution-related mortality. A 2020 review from Lee et al., showcased its effective legal frameworks for handling #diseasesurveillance and #cleanwater/sanitation, but challenges persist regarding incr. risk from vehicle-sourced #airpollution, lack of a comprehensive reg. platform to handle growing amts. of #solidwaste incl. #ewaste, and 'high' avg. #pesticides EIR-IS readings reported by #ThreePercentEarth.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338583793_Brunei_Darussalam_country_report_on_children's_environmental_health