ISLAMABAD: Experts have urged the authorities to use space technology for detecting plastic waste in Pakistan and recycling it to boost the national economy.
They told WealthPK that space technology was playing a vital role in different sectors but recently different countries started benefitting from it in mapping the plastic waste.
Plastic waste is a global challenge. About 381 million tonnes of plastic waste is produced every year in the world. The number is expected to double by 2034. However, only nine percent of plastic waste is recycled.
The detection and recycling of plastic waste, one of the biggest threats to the environment, can help to minimise pollution and strengthen the economy.
Global Plastic Watch (GPW), a digital platform, uses satellite images and artificial intelligence to map thousands of plastic waste piles from space. Its monitoring system can detect plastic waste sites as small as five by five meters, creating a living “map” of plastic pollution in real-time.
Minderoo Foundation, an Australian non-profit organisation, has developed this free and publicly available tool. GPW has detected thousands of waste sites in 25 countries, including South East Asia and Australia, during the first five months. Space technology has helped in finding out the previously unidentified plastic piles.
Fabien Laurier, the head of technologies, innovation and ocean conservation at Minderoo Foundation, said that he was surprised by the large number of previously undocumented plastic piles. The current statistics show that one in five of the mapped waste sites is near a river or waterway that carries plastic directly into the ocean.
Dr Laurier said that the number of newly-discovered sites was much higher than expected, though leakage from land accounted for 91 percent of plastic trash entering the ocean. By analysing high-resolution maps, authorities will be able to identify the leakage and use real data to devise policies for its prevention.
Developed countries recycle plastic waste to make useful items for the benefit of people. Some countries use plastic waste even in the construction of roads.
Pakistan is also one of the biggest producers of plastic waste. The country produces four million tonnes of plastic waste each year. It can also use space technology to identify plastic waste piles and recycle the waste for making different items and using it in road construction.
Dr Abullah, chief of research at the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE), said that there was no proper waste management system in Pakistan. “Plastic waste can be used in road construction. Recycling plastic waste can save the environment and strengthen the economy,” he added.
He told WealthPK that in daily life, about 90 percent of plastic items were used once and then disposed of like disposable cutlery straws, grocery bags, plastic wrap, coffee cup lids. “There is a dire need to ban and restrict single-use plastic products. More alternative items should be introduced that are reusable and environmentally biodegradable. The government should take concrete steps in this regard,” he added.
