Single-Use Plastic (Never)Ending Story: Initiatives in ASEM

Plastic, with its low cost of production, lightweight, and ability to withstand contamination makes its application highly essential in the industrial production and distribution of goods, including in the medical sector. While plastic has positively impacted our lives in many ways, the overconsumption of plastic and its mismanagement during its lifecycle have detrimental impacts on the environment, health, social and economic, with many cross-cutting factors.

Preventing plastic waste is more than addressing it as a waste management challenge. It needs to be tackled at various level with ensuring representation of stakeholders involved in all stages of the plastic life cycle. Reduction of plastics must go beyond recycling and consider a systemic transition towards circular economy.

This webinar will explore:
(1) General trends and challenges in Asia and Europe
(2) The role of businesses in tackling single-use plastics
(3) Case studies from Asia and Europe

The panel discussion will also discuss the rise of single-use plastics due to COVID-19 and share challenges, experience and approaches to responding to this rise in consumption. It will also include discussion topics suggested by participants.

The outcomes of this webinar will feed into the Asia-Europe Environment Forum Annual Conference 2020.

The Role of Businesses in Asia & Europe
- Dr Dora ALMASSY, Researcher, Central European University (CEU)

Moderated Roundtable
Moderator: Dr Lewis AKENJI, Executive Director, SEED
• Dr Trung Thang NGUYEN, Deputy Director General, Institute of Strategy and
Policies on Natural Resources and Environment (ISPONRE), Ministry of
Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE), Viet Nam
• Mr Tom CLARK, Expert Advisor, SWITCH-Asia
• Dr Dora ALMASSY, Researcher, Central European University (CEU)
• Mrs Jaruwan KHAMMUANG, CEO, Fang Thai Factory Limited
Partnership