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| A plastic cup floats along in waters off Eulwangri Beach, Incheon, Sept. 9. Plastic waste like this cup break up into microplastics which pollute the marine ecosystem over time. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul |
Related studies urgently needed to establish tightened regulations
This article is the second in a series on various environment problems, government countermeasures and expert opinions about how to solve them. ― ED.
By Lee Hae-rin
Plastics have long been a visible and alarming environmental issue, but they are ever more present at the microscopic level in our everyday lives in the form of microplastics, or tiny plastic particles smaller than 5 millimeters in size.
Plastics are used in products that people would have never expected. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, personal sanitation items and packaging materials have become key sources of household plastic waste.
Wet wipes, for example, are made of polyester and contain microplastics. Over 1.29 million tons of wipes are produced in Korea every year, according to Statistics Korea, meaning each household uses and produces an average of at least 60 kilograms of the plastic-based waste.
Face masks, another pandemic necessity, are made of polypropylene which is a plastic-based material used frequently for making single-use containers and water bottle caps. Over 60 billion tons of masks were produced here in 2020, according to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. A single mask only weighs 4 grams, but at least 24,000 tons of plastic waste was produced from the use of masks last year.
Ice packs that come with delivery packaging are yet another example. About 80 percent of ice packs used in Korea are made of super absorbent polymer (SAP), which contains microplastics. Statistics Korea reports that over 210 million ice packs were produced in 2019, even before the pandemic which saw delivery services grow exponentially.
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| A worker sorts plastic waste at Union Park in Hanam, Gyeonggi Province, Sept. 13. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul |
There are many reasons behind the lack of public awareness on the use of microplastics in everyday life.
Most of the time, it's not written on the products. Wet wipe manufacturers, for example, are not obligated by the food and drug safety ministry to disclose plastic-based materials on their labels, because the materials do not permeate into the skin.
Thus, it's not easy for consumers to know that wipes are made using plastic. According to a survey conducted by Consumers Korea of 636 people in July, only 34 percent were aware that wipes contained plastic, while others thought wipes were made from either fiber or paper.
"Consumers have the right to know exactly what they are purchasing and have a plastic-free alternative. However, it is very difficult to find a product that does not contain plastic-based material, and many companies don't specify its content on the label," John Yum, an activist at Greenpeace Korea, told the Korea Times.
Another reason is a lack of research and consensus on the dangers of microplastics in industry and academic circles.
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| Plastic waste is compressed and piled up at the waste disposal center of Union Park in Hanam, Gyeonggi Province, Sept. 13. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul |
The notion of microplastics came under the spotlight only in 2004, when professor Richard Thompson of the University of Plymouth published a related paper in the journal "Science."
Despite growing concerns over microplastics, scientists agree that there is not enough evidence to prove exactly why and how they are destructive to the human body and the environment. It is difficult to conduct tests and studies, because microplastics are but invisible yet are found everywhere and thus designing an experiment with a control group is almost impossible, they say.
It is not entirely cldear but some have predicted that, over the long term, microplastics may work as a vehicle that carries other toxic components, and may cause severe diseases and genetic damage ecosystems.
"Microplastics are too small to be filtered in the sewage treatment system and end up flowing into rivers and oceans. Once they reach the ecosystem, it's almost impossible to collect them and prevent environmental consequences. Humans are exposed to potential harm when we inhale airborne microplastics and consume marine products that ate microplastics in their ecosystem," Yum said.
As a part of efforts to reduce damage from microplastics, the Ministry of Environment initiated an ice pack recycling campaign in July 2020.
The goal of the campaign is to reduce microplastic garbage through the effective retrieval and reuse of ice packs. The ministry offered guidelines to ice pack manufacturers on the size of the packs for better recycling and to help inform consumers not to dispose of the contents of the packs in the sewage system.
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| Civil servants and civic group members sort out used ice packs collected by residents based on size and type at Gangdong District Office in Seoul, Sept. 4. Korea Times photo by Hyun Yu-ri |
With the help of 12 local governments, the ministry runs over 600 ice pack recycling sites as a pilot program and plans to expand the installations nationwide. The retrieved ice packs are cleaned, sterilized and reused.
"In Seongbuk District of northern Seoul, over 63,000 ice packs were collected in the first half of 2021 and sent to local markets, butchers and restaurants offering delivery services, where ice packs are always needed," an official from Seongbuk District Office told The Korea Times.
Starting in 2023, manufacturers that continue to produce plastic-based ice packs and refuse to adopt eco-friendly replacements such as water, starch or salt in their production will pay the cost of plastic waste disposal.
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| Seen are tiny particles of plastics used in the manufacture of cosmetics and personal care products. / Courtesy of Greenpeace Korea |
"The microbead ban in cosmetics is an example of effective cuts in plastic production. To deal with the ongoing plastic waste crisis, it's essential that the government and industries work together to lower plastic production levels as soon as possible," Yum said.
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