Plastic and Health in Southeast Asia
Plastic pollution is a growing crisis that profoundly affects human health, the environment, and the healthcare industry. Southeast Asia’s fast urbanization, growing middle class, and lack of waste management infrastructure have made the region a hotspot for plastic pollution.
Plastics contribute to environmental degradation and pose health risks to communities. Moreover, plastics pose significant operational challenges for healthcare facilities—a sector heavily dependent on plastic products such as gloves and tubing for medical supplies and infection control. This reliance not only impacts sustainability but also contributes substantially to carbon emissions.
As member states and policymakers gather for the fifth round of negotiations on the Global Plastics Treaty, it is crucial to highlight the threats of plastic pollution to Southeast Asia’s public and planetary health.
The photo exhibit, “Plastic and Health: Southeast Asia Unveiled,” aims to visually capture and communicate the negative impacts of plastic pollution on humans, the environment, and the healthcare industry. This project seeks to shed light on these realities, ensuring that Southeast Asia’s voice is strongly represented in global dialogues, especially those surrounding the Global Plastics Treaty. The call for photo submissions, primarily aimed at Southeast Asian countries, attracted a diverse array of entries from both amateur and professional photographers, including sustainability practitioners, healthcare professionals, environmental advocates, and members of broader communities. With nearly 200 entries from 11 countries within and beyond Southeast Asia, the photos and accompanying narratives underscore that plastic pollution and its profound impact on the health of people and the planet is a shared concern across many, if not all, parts of the world.
Van Trotsenburg, A (n.d.)
A People’s Campaign for a Just and Equitable Global Plastics Treaty
Demanding a Strong Treaty-1
Asyraf Abdul Samad
Malaysia
Demanding a Strong Treaty-2
Asyraf Abdul Samad
Malaysia
Demanding a Strong Treaty-3
Asyraf Abdul Samad
Malaysia
“Local Malaysian Activist & Environmental Researcher for the Center to Combat Corruption & Cronyism, Nabila Zulkeflee, holding a placard next to the polluted mangroves at Tanjung Harapan at the mouth of the Klang River, a very important river that flows through the most densely populated region in Malaysia. The shoreline of Tanjung Harapan is also home to the indigenous tribe of the Mah Meri who live on wooden stilted homes. Behind Nabila is a Mah Meri shelter. The trash that flows down the river ends up here, stifling the development of mangroves and polluting the homes of the Mah Meri tribe.”
Masked by Plastic: The Environmental Toll of Medical Supplies
Danie Franco F. Cruz
Philippines
“The picture clearly communicates the increasing problem of plastic waste in the healthcare industry. The woman in this particular image serves as a striking and profound example of how plastic waste in healthcare settings may harm the very people it is intended to help and heal, as she wears an air mask embellished with syringes. As responsible employees of Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center and healthcare practitioners, we are all familiar with the difficult task of using plastic medical supplies to save lives while also contributing to the hazardous waste problem these materials produce.
The picture depicts a painful and inevitable reality because of the very equipment we use to treat patients, such as syringes, IV bags, and breathing masks, can quickly deteriorate into hazardous trash. Every piece of plastic that is thrown away in the picture represents the growing environmental damage that our healthcare system causes on a daily basis. Once life-saving to many, these products now threaten human health and ecosystems when improperly handled or misused. The green bags of medical products, such as waste bags, serve as a visual reminder that this issue is persistent and continues to grow.
Managing plastic waste is a real and urgent concern at Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center. We witness firsthand every day how this waste impacts not only our environment but also our communities. This picture vividly conveys the contest’s theme, highlighting the suffering caused by waste and urging us to reflect on the broader implications of our actions. Providing patient care is not enough; we must also recognize our responsibility to minimize the negative effects of plastic waste. This image serves as a call to action for us, as healthcare professionals, to advocate for waste reduction and sustainable practices, in order to protect both our patients and the environment.”
Beneath the Surface: The Hidden Environmental Costs of Hospital Waste
Danie Franco F. Cruz Philippines
“The picture clearly shows the extensive risk that plastic waste gives to the medical industry. The woman in the picture, surrounded by used medical supplies, represents not just patients but also healthcare professionals who deal with this problem daily. As healthcare providers and employees of Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center, we have direct exposure with the delicate balancing act of using life-saving medical products and managing the hazardous waste they produce.
Disposable gloves, syringes, IV bags, and plastic packaging are just a few of the objects in the picture that serve as clear reminders of the important role plastics play in modern healthcare. However, these tools quickly transform into hazardous waste once they have served their purpose. When not properly managed, they harm our environment, damage ecosystems, and ultimately detriment human health. This effect is not limited to the environment; it also affects the very people these supplies are intended to help. The woman wearing an oxygen mask in the picture effectively represents our vulnerable position. It clearly depicts our healthcare problem that what is supposed to heal can also cause harm if mishandled.
There is no denying the massive quantity of plastic waste generated at hospitals. Although essential for patient care, this also presents a critical issue that medical practitioners need to address. The theme of this contest encourages awareness of the harm that waste causes to people and the environment , and this picture perfectly illustrates that struggle. Waste doesn’t disappear; it accumulates, pollutes, and harms people, especially when left unmanaged. To remedy the damage done to both humans and the environment, we must advocate for sustainable waste management solutions, particularly in the medical sector. This image serves as a graphic reminder that waste is not only a minor issue but a real and pressing problem we face today and for tomorrow.”
Discarded Lifesavers: How Medical Waste from Ambulances Ends Up in Our Ecosystem
Danie Franco F. Cruz
Philippines
“The picture highlights a serious problem that healthcare professionals deal with on a daily basis: the growing problem of plastic waste. The ambulance in the picture, which is filled with used medical supplies, is a representation of Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center’s everyday reality, where employees frequently have to make decisions between managing the trash that comes from using life-saving technology and not utilizing it. Although disposable materials, protective covers, and gloves are essential for medical treatment, they soon become potentially dangerous waste after use.
This garbage doesn’t simply vanish. In fact, the river in the background illustrates how improper disposal of medical waste can contaminate our water systems and harm the ecosystem, signifying the catastrophic potential for pollution. This ambulance’s location next to a water source highlights the link between medical waste and the harm it does to the environment and public health.
Medical professionals create a remarkable quantity of plastic waste at Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center. We are constantly reminded that items designed to keep us safe and well are actually part of the worrying environmental issue. It is our duty as medical professionals to identify and resolve this problem. Waste doesn’t just disappear after it’s thrown out; rather, it builds up and causes more serious environmental problems that eventually affect the health of humanity.
The theme of the contest—how waste harms people and their environment —is beautifully captured in this illustration. It acts as a reminder of an oftenoverlooked reality: we are not only responsible for patient care but also for being stewards of sustainable practices. The image is meant to be a wake-up call for healthcare professionals to address the problem of plastic waste and push for more environmentally friendly alternatives that will lessen the harm it causes to people and the environment where we live.”
Australia’s plastic waste poisioning our babies
Alaika Rahmatullah Indonesia
“A powerful protest is taking place as activists gather in front of the Australian Consulate General’s office, holding banners that condemn the importation of waste from Australia that is poisoning infants in Indonesia. This photo captures the collective anger and solidarity of the community as they demand action against toxic waste that endangers health.”
Philippines
“Amid the plastic-choked waters of Las Piñas-Parañaque Wetland Park, a protected RAMSAR site, a lone fisherman wades through the debris-laden coast in search of a catch. This scene is a sobering reflection of how deeply plastic pollution has seeped into every facet of life, even into a wetland meant to safeguard biodiversity. Volunteers tirelessly return month after month to clean this stretch, only to be met with a fresh wave of waste. The fish this man hopes to sell or feed his family with have swum through a toxic slurry, laced with microplastics and other harmful pollutants.
More than just a man searching for catch in a polluted sea; it tells the story of an unending struggle—where both nature and human livelihoods are at stake. The plastic crisis does not stop with what is seen on the surface; it infiltrates food, health, and ecosystems, creating a cycle of harm that lingers for generations. The fisherman’s resilience stands as a reminder of the urgent need for collective action against this never-ending tide of plastic.”
Fresh Catch Cat Triviño
“Workers dredge up plastic waste as a trio of children swim at the polluted confluence of the Mekong and Tonle Sap Rivers in Cambodia’s capital city of Phnom Penh.
The juxtaposition between garbage and bathing evokes a guttural response. This image—which underlines “the harmful impact of plastic pollution on human lives”—shows how Southeast Asia’s growing plastic problem is redefining daily life for the millions of people living along the Mekong River.
The majority of families within the floating fishing community in Phnom Penh are from the ethnic Cham minority group in Cambodia, which finds itself caught at the confluence of where waste from both rivers collide. The Cambodian government launched a Zero Plastic Waste Campaign earlier this year which aims to tackle plastic use in coming years. In the interim, however, the clean-up of existing waste on the riverbanks where the Cham people live is being left to smallscale organizations struggling to keep the waste at bay.
“I help collect this waste that affects the people’s livelihoods,” says Srey Toch, a garbage picker with River Ocean Cleanup. “Picking up plastics also helps improve the nation’s environment. Most people don’t know how to dispose of their waste properly. They just keep throwing their waste everywhere.”
Across the forever-changing Phnom Penh skyline, Srey Toch and her team sludged through the muddy banks of Chroy Changvar. Children swam by their floating homes as Srey Toch pulled plastic waste from the waters around them. She says “In the future, I hope there is no more garbage along the rivers in Cambodia.”
Bathing in Waste in Cambodia
Anton L. Delgado Cambodia
The Scavenger Sofyan Syamsul Indonesia
“Despite the hazardous smoke from a burning landfill, all the scavengers in the area are still working to collect plastics and goods to gain income for the day. Even though the government has shut down the place, they still keep coming amidst the rules.”
Burning Landfill
Sofyan Syamsul
Indonesia
“These are the biggest landfills in Bali. In 2023, there was a big wildfire that lasted for several weeks, causing fog and the smells of burning plastic in the area of a nearby landfill. The nearby residents suffered from Acute Respiratory Infections and had to be temporarily evacuated from their home village.”
Mountain of Toil Emmanuel II M. Olmoguez Philippines
“In response to the urgent need to solve the plastic crisis, several recycling facilities are put up across the country. Workers put in a lot of effort to separate the plastics before sending them to different processing facilities. To keep up with the growing crisis, these workers will need to persist and trudge through the mountain of plastics, notwithstanding the fact that the labor appears unending.”
“Employees at sorting facilities rummage through piles of PET bottles; even though they work fast and efficiently throughout the day, there are still not enough workers to complete the sorting of all these plastics.”
Grind away Emmanuel II M. Olmoguez Philippines
A Masked Ocean Cat Triviño Philippines
“At over 20 meters below the surface in Anilao, Batangas, a discarded face mask lies entangled in delicate marine life, an eerie reminder of the lasting impact of the pandemic beyond physical and psychological after-effects. As humanity sought to protect itself, our oceans bore the cost. The very tools designed to shield us from harm have now infiltrated some of the most remote and biodiverse ecosystems on Earth, threatening marine species and the health of our planet. The pandemic may have eased, but the wave of plastic pollution it triggered continues to grow, suffocating the underwater world.
This is the devastating intersection of human health and environmental degradation, questioning whether we must sacrifice one for the other. Can we find sustainable solutions to protect both? The mask, a symbol of survival above water, now becomes a symbol of destruction beneath it, challenging us to rethink how we protect life on both land and sea.”
Trapped by Circumstance
Monica
Isabel Jose Philippines
“Children in BASECO Compound, Port of Manila, have grown up coexisting with plastic pollution. Their futures are increasingly constrained by the harmful effects of plastic waste on their environment.”
A Lake in Polymers and Polycrisis
Jord Earving Gadingan Philippines
“Observed this Sunday morning was a snow-white egret on a tropical lake curiously browsing on the shore belt of plastic rubbles brought by a typhoon.
Lake Taal, which houses a decade-long volcano and thousands of households, faces multiple hazards to its ecological health: the neonatal polycrisis of biodiversity loss, climate, and pollution crisis. As a protected area that strives to join a wasteful economy and can’t house a sanitary landfill nor afford to be circular, plastic wastes easily end up on the freshwater body. Evidently, microplastics traces are now found in aquatic life including the endemic Sardinella tawilis. The lake’s health is the people’s health—a microcosm of the planetary crisis but felt in a third-world intensity. It is so easy and tempting to blame the coastal communities’ behavior on plastics and always the hardest to reimagine systems: harmonizing the management plans of the ecosystem and the plaguing solid wastes. We all must be an egret after a storm, “”curiously browsing”” for mechanisms and designs that will affect behaviors and eliminate plastics in reaching the waters.”
“As its mother watches, a curious Asian elephant calf reaches out for a bag of recently picked-up plastic trash held by a mahout within an elephant sanctuary in Chiang Saen, Thailand.””
Elephants may not be at the top of mind when most people consider the impacts of plastic waste on wildlife. This image–which underlines the “effect of plastics on public health and planetary health”–illustrates the infinite ways plastic is redefining our natural environment. Elephants are not only globally recognizable but are also one of the most culturally significant animals in the Mekong Region. With an elephant in focus, this image uses the species as a flagship representation of the growing plastic waste crisis in a way that is understandable to viewers of all ages.
“The trash is mixed—plastic bags, bottles, food wrappers—the smell of food can tempt the elephants,” said Poonyawee Srisantear, an elephant camp manager at the Anantara Resort. “When they play with the plastic, they sometimes try to eat it, which can harm their health.”
On their walk, mahouts stop every few steps to fill their burlap sacks with plastic waste flowing down the Ruak River, a tributary to the Mekong River, which acts as a natural border between Thailand and Myanmar. But despite removing several tons of plastic bottles, trash bags, and styrofoam pieces from the elephant trail, the stream of plastic waste continued to flow downstream. “Sometimes it never ends,” Srisantear said.
Less than a kilometer from the elephant sanctuary, the Ruak merges with the Mekong River, officially making the trash a Thai-Lao problem. The trash bobs into the transboundary region where northeastern Myanmar, northwestern Thailand, and northern Laos converge on the Mekong. Coined the Golden Triangle, this area perfectly encapsulates the transboundary nature of Southeast Asia’s plastic dilemma.”
A Dangerous Curiosity in Thailand
Anton L. Delgado Thailand
“Along the docks of a rural town on a peninsula lies not floating trash above the waters but implanted garbage within the lands. The introduction of colorful alien objects among the brown fields of soil and marsh is too hard to ignore, almost as if glaring at the individuals, locals, and fishermen who come across them—the ordinary. At a macroscopic level, these plastics may not be very visible to the naked eye. Alas, these very same creations almost sentient on their own have made their way into our systems, drowning us internally. The fauna suffers, and the food chain collapses. The fish we consume are contaminated, and running along our digestive tracks is unknowable impending doom. We are paying to be poisoned. The livelihood of our fellows in the marginalized sector is at risk and we are doing nothing about it despite having the means to be informed.”
Rancid Croix S. Fernandez Philippines
Invisible Flood
A Plastic Paradise
Dr. Max Kelly
Indonesia
“What would otherwise be an idyllic beach I often picture when thinking of Indonesia’s coastline, is more often smothered with a bombardment of litter. Each bottle, entangled net, and discarded item of clothing tells its own story of the problem at hand. As part of the PISCES (Plastics in Indonesian Societies) research program, our field team (pictured: Dr Reza Cordova and Deny Yogaswara) is tasked with quantifying and characterizing plastic pollution across the country. Often when you see a site like this, it’s difficult to envision how that idyllic beach, and the numerous other environments we have visited, might once again be plastic-free. Yet, working with our Indonesian colleagues and seeing the passion for change is truly motivating. This research is now paving the way for innovative, cross-value-chain solutions that can hopefully start to turn the tide on plastic pollution.”
Fishing for a Future
Monica Isabel Jose Philippines
“A fisherfolk fixes his net amid piles of plastic waste in BASECO Compound, Port Area of Manila. As plastic pollution worsens, a time will come when there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean, with fisherfolk bearing the brunt of these consequences.”
A skyline of development, a frontline of waste in Cambodia Anton L. Delgado Cambodia
“By the confluence of the Mekong and Tonle Sap Rivers, a crew of NGO workers scrape the riverbank clear of plastic waste as the skyline of Cambodia’s capital city, Phnom Penh, towers over them.
This image — which underlines “the effects of plastics on public health and planetary health” — draws a parallel between Southeast Asia’s thirst for development and population booth with the resulting increase of plastic waste. The juxtaposition between the developed skyline of skyrises and the polluted banks of the floating community emphasizes how the region’s plastic crisis unevenly impacts different populations.
Solutions to the increase of waste spurred by the region’s decision to double down on development are still in the early stages of planning and implementation by the governments of Southeast Asian nations, like Cambodia.
Since taking over as the Minister of Environment last year, Eang Sophalleth has launched a passionate anti-plastics campaign, which he hopes will cut down on the nation’s plastic consumption.
“Plastic is my enemy number one,” said Eang Sophalleth at a press briefing during the 2023 Cambodia Climate Change Summit. “Plastic is an issue not just for Cambodia but for the world. This plastic campaign is the beginning of other priorities as well. It is the first step towards managing solid waste systematically.”
Plastic bring Early Ageing
Md Ali Azman Shaik
Bangladesh
“This photograph was taken in Islambagh, Dhaka. The man in the image has been collecting, sorting, and recycling plastic since he was just six years old, a consequence of parental conflict that pushed him into this line of work. Now, at 43, the toll of decades of hard labor is evident. I remarked in surprise, “You look much older than your age!” He replied with a heavy heart, “This work has given me an unhealthy and undignified life. I suffer from various diseases.” His story reflects the harsh realities faced by many in the recycling industry.”
“In this image, women waste workers in the Maldives play a pivotal role in combating the plastic crisis, carrying the weight of the world’s waste—both literally and figuratively. These unsung heroes, seen managing household waste collection, are at the forefront of a system strained by the harmful impact of plastic pollution on human health. While plastics are omnipresent in daily life, their disposal falls heavily on the shoulders of these women, whose efforts are essential to public and planetary health. The pervasive issue of plastic waste disproportionately affects both the environment and the communities tasked with managing it, a reality they face every day.”
Guardians of Our Future: Women Confronting Plastic Waste
Ahmed Afrah Ismail Maldives
Forgotten Faces, Forgotten Futures
Louis Justin “Kahel” J. Rebadolla Philippines
“This photograph captures the discarded head of a once-iconic mascot from a well-known fast-food chain in the Philippines, now lying in one dumpsite in Zambales that is part of the ancestral land of an indigenous community. The powerful image of this forgotten figure, surrounded by heaps of plastic waste, reflects not only the environmental impact of unchecked plastic consumption but also the displacement and marginalization of those who once called this land their home.
The photo was taken in a community that has been transformed into one of the major dumpsites of Zambales, a province overwhelmed by its own waste. Much like the abandoned mascot, many indigenous families have been pushed aside to make way for the growing mountains of trash. Their ancestral lands are now buried under layers of refuse, their culture slowly eroding as they grapple with the loss of traditional livelihoods. Many have turned to scavenging—collecting garbage for survival, selling it to junk shops just to make ends meet.
The environmental and human toll is intertwined. Mothers speak of children constantly falling ill from the toxic fumes and unsanitary conditions, their future is as precarious as the waste they live among. As one mother laments, “My child is always sick because of the smell and the dumpsite, but we have no choice—we get our food from there.””
This photograph serves as a haunting reminder of how consumerism, particularly the unchecked use of plastic, devastates not only the environment but also the lives, cultures, and futures of vulnerable Indigenous communities. The mascot’s discarded head mirrors the forgotten futures of the children who play among the refuse, their dreams and heritage seemingly thrown away with the trash.”
Trigger warning: animal death
“Amidst a sea of plastic waste, this haunting image from a dump site in the Maldives captures the tragic reality of plastic pollution’s deadly reach. The lifeless body of a crow lies next to a discarded plastic bottle, a symbol of how single-use plastics—marketed as life-saving innovations—are actually taking lives, both human and animal. With similar dumps scattered across the 187 inhabited islands of the Maldives, this scene repeats itself globally, illustrating the profound effects of plastics on public and planetary health. The toxic narrative that plastics “save lives” overlooks the irreversible damage they cause to ecosystems and the health of future generations.”
Fallen Victim: The Cost of Plastic Pollution
Ahmed Afrah Ismail Maldives
Untitled
Dr. Max Kelly Indonesia
“A myriad of plastic products and everyday waste items are scattered through a dense mangrove network in Northern Bali. This littered landscape was captured as part of the PISCES (Plastics in Indonesian Societies) project, highlighting a far too common site across Indonesia. Field teams are working towards identifying the most prevalent items of waste found in Indonesia to inform design and policy-driven interventions to reduce anthropogenic impacts.”
The plastic crisis is a health crisis.
A Treaty that protects the planet is also a Treaty that protects the health of our people.
About the Organizers
Health Care Without Harm is an international nongovernmental organization that works to transform health care worldwide so that it reduces its environmental footprint, becomes a community anchor for sustainability, and leads the global movement for environmental health and justice.
As one of the organization’s regional arms, Health Care Without Harm Southeast Asia (HCWH SEA) aims to lead the healthcare transformation in Southeast Asia through its three major programs: Climate and Health, Sustainability in Healthcare, and the Global Green and Healthy Hospitals, guided by our mission to champion people’s right to health and a healthy environment. Through partnerships, platforms for collaboration, and policy advocacy, HCWH SEA’s goal is to accelerate this transformation across the region by 2029.
The “Plastic and Health: Southeast Asia Unveiled” Photo Exhibit is an initiative by HCWH SEA, supported by the Plastics Solutions Fund. This project is further strengthened through collaboration with our regional allies such as Break Free From Plastics and the Sunway Centre for Planetary Health, along with the support of our networks—the Global Green and Healthy Hospitals Network and the RISE South East Asia Alliance for Health and Climate.
Connect with us!
Health Care Without Harm Southeast Asia infoasia@hcwh.org
An Open Letter from Health Professionals on the Plastics Treaty
During the fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC4), Health Care Without Harm and its allies published an open letter from health professionals advocating for a strong plastics treaty.
The letter has since gained significant support, with over 18 million health professionals represented by 63 health organizations across 88 countries, along with more than 1,000 individuals, signing on to urge plastics treaty negotiators to safeguard both the planet and patient health.
Scan the QR code to access the Open Letter or go to global.noharm.org/focus/plastics/open-letter
Conference Resolution Document for a Just and Equitable Plastics Treaty for Health
This resolution serves as an essential message for Southeast Asia’s health sector, emphasizing our strong commitment to advocating for a just and equitable plastics treaty that prioritizes health. It also showcases our collective call to those involved in Global Plastics Treaty discussions, reinforcing the urgency and importance of addressing the health impacts of plastic pollution.
Scan the QR code to access the document or go to bit.ly/GPTResolutionDocument2024
Toward a just, equitable, and health-centered Global Plastics Treaty.
