Section 1.1: The History of Trash Exportation

Recycling is often viewed as a crucial way to lessen our ecological footprint. Simple actions like sorting waste into designated containers can be easily adopted by households and public spaces alike. Yet, residents in Western nations may not realize that much of their trash is being sent overseas, particularly to Asia, effectively making it someone else's problem. For decades, developed countries have depended on these nations to manage the environmental fallout of their waste. Since 1992, a consistent stream of unwanted materials has been dispatched to developing nations, predominantly China. Outsourcing recycling has become a normalized practice—a classic case of "out of sight, out of mind." But that’s changing.

In 2018, China abruptly halted imports of 24 categories of recyclables, introducing stringent contamination standards of just 0.5%. This shift was preceded by several state-sponsored initiatives aimed at tightening inspections of imported waste. "Operation Green Fence," launched in 2013, was one such program, and it was followed by the "National Sword Policy" in 2017, which specifically targeted the import of foreign recyclables.

Section 1.2: The Environmental Impact

Plastic waste can take centuries to decompose. In 2008, global production reached 248 million tons, with a continuous increase of about 3.7% annually, culminating in 359 million tons by 2018. In stark contrast, the human population was growing at just over 1%. By 2012, the weight of the entire human population was 287 million tons, while the plastic produced weighed 288 million tons—highlighting the stark imbalance, as human remains decompose far more rapidly than plastic.

Western nations, particularly those in NAFTA (U.S., Canada, and Mexico) and the European Union, contribute to 35% of the world’s plastic production. Meanwhile, China, which manufactures 30% of the world's plastic, has had enough of being the dumping ground, prompting the National Sword policy. This policy led to a staggering 96% drop in used plastics sent to China in 2018, leaving Western countries scrambling for alternative disposal methods.

The first video discusses how Asian nations, through various measures, are rejecting the influx of trash from the West, showcasing a crucial shift in environmental responsibility.

Section 1.3: Southeast Asia's Response

Southeast Asian nations soon became the next target for Western waste, but this arrangement was short-lived. Investigations revealed numerous abandoned shipping containers filled with trash—much of which was not even recyclable. Countries like the Philippines and Malaysia took decisive actions, with the Philippines’ President Rodrigo Duterte threatening to take military action against Canada over waste shipments, and Malaysia planning to return 3,000 tons of contaminated waste to its origin.

The second video highlights the actions taken by Asian countries to limit garbage imports from the West and the implications of these decisions.