THE Stockholm Resilience Centre’s planetary boundaries are a set of limits within which human activities must operate to keep the planet habitable. These boundaries relate to biodiversity loss, climate change, land use, freshwater use, ocean acidification, ozone depletion, and chemical pollution.
Last year, the centre concluded that the planetary boundary relating to “novel entities” (chemicals and plastics to you and me) was breached – meaning that we are releasing more chemicals and plastics into the environment than the planet can process.
Microplastics are, quite literally, everywhere. They are being detected in blood and breast milk, they are appearing in faeces, including in babies’. They are found in seemingly harmless items such as cosmetics, medications like eye drops, the clothes that we wear, and are spread through the degradation of all plastic objects that are disposed of incorrectly.
Remember that plastic never fully decomposes; it just breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces – microplastics.
According to the California Policy Evidence Consortium, humans consume microplastics through food and water. They accumulate in our bodies, leading to potential long-term health effects. The implications range from heart and lung problems to gastrointestinal issues.
Additionally, microplastics are being linked to hormonal disruptions and developmental abnormalities. These health risks are especially worrying considering that so much about their effects on human health remains unclear.
In the face of mounting evidence of the negative impacts of microplastics, the response from policymakers is inadequate. Malaysia is the world’s third largest emitter of plastics into the ocean according to a 2021 study, releasing 73,000 tonnes of plastic into the sea that year.
And yet, while some progress has been made, such as the government’s recent announcement of a ban on the use of plastic bags, the need for transformative action means that we must do a great deal more than this, and very quickly.
This ban is set to be implemented only by 2025, which seems slow considering the seriousness of the health threat. Perhaps the delay is to provide time for the authorities to work out how to enforce such a ban? Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad has stated that the responsibility for enforcing the ban lies with local councils. How will this work?
Without strict enforcement mechanisms and penalties for non-compliance, the ban may remain ineffective.
The government may want to look to the example of Kenya. The country banned single-use plastic bags in 2017 and while they have seen an 80% compliance rate due to effective enforcement measures, the fact that the ban did not extend to other forms of plastic means that further regulation is being considered there.
Perhaps we can take a more ambitious first step here? Plastic bags, while a significant pollution source, do not include the 16.78kg per person equivalent of plastic packaging that makes up the 148,000 tonnes of single-use plastic used to wrap food each year.
At the policy level, we need to stop reacting and start strategising. At the personal level, we need to start pushing for change among vendors, especially those selling goods online whose overuse of plastic is utterly ridiculous.
Like many of the environmental problems we face, addressing the plastics crisis is not easy. As you read this, look around you – go and look in your fridge, think about what your latest takeout order or online shopping item came wrapped in, check the packaging for your medications, figure out how many takeout drinks you purchased in plastic, paper with plastic lining or single-use cups recently, and see just how much plastic you use without noticing every day. It all has the potential to become microplastics.
While we all can and should be more mindful of how we shop, how we dispose of and make efforts to avoid single-use plastics as much as possible, we need a policy level rethink, a comprehensive approach that forces various sectors, including government, industry, and individuals to work together, where we address supply side production as well as demand driven consumption.
We need to invest now in sustainable alternatives to plastic products and packaging, switching to biodegradable materials that do not contribute to the plastic and microplastic pollution problem. Beyond personal consumer choice, we need policies that encourage competitive market advantage; enforcement alone will not drive a sufficiently significant shift in plastic usage. Plastic alternatives should be affordable to us all, instead of just a select few.
Seats of learning and industries should invest in research and development to find innovative solutions for reducing microplastic production and preventing its release into the environment.
We need greater public awareness and education to play a vital role in addressing this issue. The cashier at the supermarket, the street food vendor, shopkeepers and the company bosses all need to be better educated about the sources and impacts of microplastics, enabling them to make and share informed choices and adopt environmentally-friendly practices.
And we must massively ramp up global research to better understand the health effects of microplastics. Policy must be evidence-based. Funding should be allocated for this, for comprehensive studies that investigate the full extent of the problem and its potential consequences on human health. By closing knowledge gaps, policymakers will have a stronger foundation to develop effective strategies and regulations.
Microplastics pose significant negative impacts on both the environment and human health. From breaching planetary health boundaries, to the health of our land rivers and oceans, to being found inside our bodies, the insidious nature of these particles demands urgent action.
And finally, plastics are made from fossil fuels. What are the oil companies doing to address this crisis?
Dr Jemilah Mahmood, a physician and experienced crisis leader, was appointed the executive director of the Sunway Centre for Planetary Health at Sunway University in August 2021. She is the founder of aid organisation Mercy Malaysia and has served in leadership roles internationally with the United Nations and Red Cross for the last decade. She writes on Planetary Health Matters once a month under Ecowatch.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Get 20% OFF The Star Digital Access
Cancel anytime. Ad-free. Unlimited access with perks.
