TOKYO -- Asia lags behind Europe in managing the life cycle of plastics -- from production to waste -- with Indonesia and India scoring below average in a report on 25 countries worldwide, released Tuesday.
Although Asia churns out half the world's plastics, only three countries in the region made the top 10 of the 2021 Plastics Management Index, based on indicators including governance, capacity for dealing with plastic rubbish, and the extent of public and private efforts to combat waste. The report was compiled as part of an ocean health initiative of the Nippon Foundation and Economist Impact, a think tank within The Economist Group.