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The waste is sent by container, often as a legal import, and other times hidden in other shipments. Plastic garbage is polluting the air, food chain, and affecting the health of local people
Fremont, CA: Indonesia has been severely affected by plastic waste from western countries such as Australia, Europe, and North America. People in western countries carefully separate their household plastic waste to be collected and sent for recycling. Instead of recycling it, much of the waste is exported through various mediums to Indonesia and its neighboring countries. Plastic garbage is polluting the air, food chain, and affecting the health of local people.
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The waste is sent by container, often as a legal import, and other times hidden in other shipments. According to Indonesia's statistic agency, imports of plastics increased 141 percent in 2018 to 283,000 tonnes - primarily from countries such as Canada, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Italy, the UK, and the US. The domestic plastic problem in Indonesia generates 9 million tonnes of waste annually.
In the beginning of 2017, China had banned waste imports to the mainland, which has led to waste being sent to other countries.
[vendor_logo_first]Plastic is burned largely to control Indonesia's overflowing rubbish dumps; on the other hand, truckloads of waste are sold to local communities. Local people use plastic waste as fuel, which can cause fatal respiratory illnesses and other serious long-term health problems for those exposed to toxic smoke for a longer period.
Researchers at the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN) have discovered persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as dioxin in chicken and eggs, in East Java village, 70 times higher than the level permitted by European Safety Standard Authority (EFSA). This was the second-highest level of dioxins in eggs ever measured in Asia - one step behind an area of Vietnam contaminated by the chemical weapon Agent Orange. These chemicals are capable of causing cancer, diabetes, and damaging one's immune system. Another example of plastic waste pollution was found in one of Indonesia's villages, where a cluster of tofu factories emits plumes of poisonous smoke by burning plastic as fuel.
Indonesia can barely manage its own waste. The World Bank has estimated that one-fifth of the country's plastic ends up in rivers and coastal waters. The government of Indonesia has addressed the issue and sent the shipments back.
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