Plastic Pager

Here’s How We’re

Combatting Plastic Pollution

Today’s world of plastic percent of plastics ending up in landfills, polluting our
environment, or floating in our oceans.
We currently live in a world of plastic. It’s a convenient
material, both cheap and durable, but it’s also Since plastic was introduced to Cambodia 25 years ago,
wreaking havoc around the globe. Worldwide, the it has scaled in use to an unsustainable level. Every day,
total volume of plastic has reached 8.6 billion metric around 10 million plastic bags are used in Phnom Penh.
tons, equivalent to one billion elephants. At present,
only nine percent of plastics are recycled, with 91

Mr. Sony Oum Ms. Moeko Saito Jensen

BESD Project Manager UNDP Focal point: plastic & circular economy initiatives UNDP
Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]

Why is plastic a problem?

The growing volume of plastic production and use is threatening our environment, health,
and economy.

Impacts on Lasting for hundreds of years, plastic leaks harmful chemicals into the environment.
Our Environment
Eight million tonnes of plastic flows into our oceans annually, mostly by way of rivers, such as the Mekong.
As a result, one million seabirds and 100,000 marine animals die every year from ingesting plastic.

Impacts on Most plastics in the ocean slowly break up into particles, known as microplastics. Fish and marine
Our Health animals consume these microplastics, causing toxic chemicals to accumulate and move up the food
chain to humans. By ingesting fish, we’re increasing our chances of health complications in the future.
Burning plastics also releases harmful chemicals, such as dioxins and furans, into the atmosphere.

Impacts on Plastic waste exacerbates the damaging impacts of floods, as it blocks waterways and clogs sewage
Our Economy and drainage systems. When plastics are dumped into oceans, it damages marine ecosystems. Solving
this problem requires government intervention and regulation, but cleanup costs are substantial.

How can we solve

the plastic​problem?

Our vision is to help Cambodia,
and the world, reduce plastic
pollution by promoting the “4Rs.”
Refuse, Reduce, Recycle and
Reuse.

How we’re promoting the 4Rs 3 4 5

12

Research Develop Policy Raise Build a Strategic Support
Measures Awareness Business
on the challenges and Partnership
solutions for single-use on single-use on plastic pollution for recycling
plastic, alternatives, and plastics and promote through social media with the Government, infrastructure and green
and outreach activities. private sector, citizens,
recycling. alternatives. alternatives.
youth, development
partners and NGOs to

promote the 4Rs.

About the BESD project:

This initiative is supported by the project Building an Enabling Environment for Sustainable Development in Cambodia (BESD).
The project is funded by Sweden and UNDP, and implemented by the National Council for Sustainable Development, the Ministry
of Environment, and the National Committee for Democratic Development at the sub-national level. For more information about
the project and plastic initiatives, please visit our website at http://www.kh.undp.org.