Written by Alden
Translated by UN-Habitat Myanmar
02 May 2023

An unusual scene was observed one morning in early April at a local mohinga (rice noodles in fish soup), stall in Kalaw Township in southern Shan State. Instead of plastic bags, people were seen buying food in steel tiffin carriers.

A nice aroma coming from the stall along with this uncommon scene intrigued me to enter the place.

Author: “One bowl of mohinga take away please.”

Owner: “Have you brought a container?”

Author: “Sorry but I haven’t one  with me.”

Owner: “I am sorry sir. We don’t use plastic at our stall to pack food. If you haven’t brought a food container, we can lend you one, but please return it when you pass by this place again.”

The owner even added smiling, “We don’t want our customers’ health to be hurt because of the negative effects of plastic chemicals seeping into hot mohinga soup,”.

Although almost everyone knows that hot meals and food should not be put in plastic bags, people forget this fact and take the easy way. According to research, toxins and chemicals coming out from use of plastic utensils can even be tested in people’s blood and tissues. In other words, we are consuming poison every day whether we are aware of it or not. According to 2019 estimates by World Wildlife Fund (WWF), every week, an average person carelessly consumes as much plastic as is used to make a credit card.

So, in what ways are we consuming plastic?

What many people overlook is the fact that through our use of clothes, cosmetics, medicine, and food packaging made of plastics, plastic particles can enter our body unnoticed. These plastic particles are classified as microplastics and nano plastics by scientists and environmental activists. The particles of plastic here refer to the particles that are left after the plastics including single-use plastic items are damaged by sun, water, and wind.

A doctor who is doing environmental work said, “The problem of plastics is they don’t decompose naturally. Plastics won’t decay for thousands of years. Let’s say we destroy and rip them apart to the microplastic level that cannot be seen with naked eyes, those plastic particles can get through anywhere. They can get into the atmosphere. They can reach water bodies. According to the latest research, there are trillions of microplastics particles floating in the ocean.”

Microplastics are less than five millimeters in diameter and nano plastics are even smaller than 0.001 millimeters in diameter A locally based NGO ‘Thant Myanmar’ which is working on reduction of plastic use, reminds us that though some plastic particles can be seen with the naked eye, many others are not visible to the eye unless aided by any optical instrument.

It is found that plastic particles can be broken down in various forms like beads, fibers, or foams. These plastic particles can enter the human body by means of food, or water, or air or even through contact.

Impacts of plastics on human health

These days, plastic pollution is not only an environmental issue but also has become a global health problem. Microplastic and nano plastic particles are harmful to health after they enter the human body. Along with the chemicals used in their production, plastic particles are also carriers of pathogens (disease-producing agent) to the human body, according to the research papers published by Thant Myanmar. An alarming finding about plastic particles from the research done by Rice University in Texas was that plastic particles usually enter the human body through the air, water or food but bring along the chemicals, bacteria and genetic materials which are attached on the surface of plastic particles.

A doctor who is doing environmental work said “plastic particles can dissolve even in water, and we drink and eat without knowing about it. In this way, they get into our bodies. It is said that these particles are so small that they can circulate in the bloodstream. Indeed, microplastics are that small, that’s why they can enter our bodies.” In addition, experts say that when the plastic particles begin to gradually break down, the bacteria and chemicals that come with them will develop a property that makes them resistant to antibiotics, increasing the risk of drug failure. The British-based “The Guardian” newspaper published an article in August 2020 citing the research findings that plastic particles can be found in important parts of the human body such as lungs, liver, kidneys, and heart.

In 2018, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that polystyrene, a synthetic resin which is used in food packaging, can cause cancer. Thant Myanmar also shared the statements of international organizations to the effect that polystyrene which reacts when exposed to food for a long time can cause lung cancer, breast cancer and liver disease as well as leukemia, and tumors in the pancreas and esophagus. Similarly, chemicals included in plastic can lead to obesity, raise blood pressure, and increased blood sugar. It is known that these substances affect the reproductive systems and cause sexual dysfunction in males. In addition to increasing the risk of miscarriage in women, they increase the risk of tumors in the uterus as per the statement from Thant Myanmar. The environmental activist confirmed, “as far as we see in animals, it causes reproductive problems. Animals can no longer reproduce. It can cause harm to the kidney, liver and intestinal tract. There are findings which show that these organs can be damaged.” Moreover, UK-based Waste Aid and Institute of Development Study (WasteAid) stated that every year between 400,000 and one million people die due to diseases and accidents linked to mismanagement of plastic waste in developing countries.

Impacts of plastics on natural environment

Plastic pollution affects not only health but also has an impact on natural resources and causes climate change. According to a report published in 2017 by the University of California Santa Barbara , the weight of plastic that has been produced and used in the world for more than 60 years is equal to that of about one billion elephants (more than 8.3 billion metric tons). Many plastic particles could have entered the bodies of marine animals and humans. More than 70 percent of all plastic products produced end up in lakes and seas and only less than 15 percent of plastic is recycled. If the trend continues at this rate, by 2050, 937 million tons of plastics will end up in the oceans, according to a report from the World Economic Forum in 2016. Moreover, according to the National Geographic Magazine, 73% of all beach trash is plastic and includes cigarette butts, bottles, bottle caps, food packaging, grocery bags and polystyrene containers.

Similarly, plastic production uses a large amount of energy and emits billions of tons of greenhouse gases, resulting in global warming. Burning plastic waste also produces toxic gases such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides which also affects human health. Furthermore, these gases pollute the soil and water mass.

Plastic is one of the biggest environmental pollutants we’re facing today.

How to reduce plastics use?

It is obvious that plastic pollution threatens not only the health of the world but also that of humans.

At the same time, it gives many advantages to humans. Plastics continue to be widely used around the world due to its hardiness, durability, low cost in production, water resistance, having no smell, plasticity and reusability.  Due to these advantages, it seems impossible not to use plastics nowadays. However, there is the need to reduce the use of plastics as compared to advantages, there are more negative impacts.

Among the use of plastic, that of plastic bags is very common. One way to reduce them is for the governments concerned to collect tax or enact laws banning its use. The use of single-use plastics is completely prohibited by law in countries and economies such as Botswana, Kenya, Vanuatu, Taiwan, Zimbabwe, Canada, France, Morroco, Rwanda. Similarly, countries such as Bangladesh, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Taiwan, Australia, UK, Italy, Wales, Scotland, Germany, Denmark, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Colombia levy a tax on the use of plastic. Also in Myanmar, a workshop intended to work out plans to reduce the use of plastic in the country was held in Nay Pyi Taw in 2019 in cooperation with environmental conservation organizations and law makers. It.

However, environmental activists unanimously recommend changing individual lifestyles is the best way to reduce the use of plastics. It is suggested to bring steel tiffin carriers or boxes when people go to restaurants (for example – tea shops, pastry shop) or take some kind of bags other than plastic ones when they go to grocery stores.

While environmental organizations are raising awareness about reducing the use of plastic, there are individuals like Ma Aye Wei, the owner of mohinga stall in Kalaw, who was mentioned at the beginning of the article. Ma Aye Wei explained her experience, “I have rarely seen grass yards free of plastic. Plastic is seen here and there and everywhere. A lot of plastic waste is strewn over especially after the tourist season like December and Water festival. Being a resident of a tourist spot and as our economy relies heavily on tourism, I want to do my best to conserve the environment. It is for this reason that I have taken such an initiative. “

Plastics contribute not only to climate change but also seriously cause harm to human health. The indiscriminate disposal of plastic affects the tourist industry and wildlife. If each and everyone starts reducing the use of plastic, there will be a cleaner environment and it will be conducive to our enjoying a healthy life.

Plastic doesn’t decompose while other things do. Therefore, I want to give three recommendations: Za. “Reduce, reuse and recycle plastic,” said the environmentalist.

Author: Alden