.png){kind=icon}
.png){kind=icon}
Return
Tracking Post-Consumer Packaging Plastics With Global Positioning Systems: Pilot Study in Malaysia
.png){kind=icon}
OA
AI
S
I
A
J
DOI：10.1002/sd.71545.png)
.png){kind=icon}
.png){kind=icon}
Share.png){kind=icon}
Save
Abstract
En 中文
Landfilling and the mismanagement of packaging plastic waste pose significant challenges in developing countries, especially in Southeast Asia. There is an empirical gap in plastic waste management data, which is largely handled by informal players despite established municipal solid waste collection systems. Thus, a pilot study was conducted in Malaysia, employing a limited number of global positioning system (GPS) trackers (N = 11) to monitor the movement of post-consumer packaging plastic waste. Ten camouflaged trackers were placed in everyday plastic items and disposed of in public waste bins in Selangor, and 1 tracker was deployed to the Klang River. Results reveal that 7 out of 10 tracked items are landfilled (including 4 trackers with inferred fates) while only one item reached a recycling facility via informal collectors. Survival analysis showed prolonged waste persistence in high-density commercial areas, suggesting spatial variability in collection efficiency. The river-deployed tracker bypassed several interception points before being retained in a downstream log-boom system, highlighting the continued environmental leakage of plastic despite existing mitigation infrastructure. The findings demonstrate the potential of GPS tracking as an exploratory tool for investigating the movement and persistence of urban waste flows, identifying leakage pathways and evaluating intervention strategies. Policy recommendations include integrating informal waste collectors into formal systems, enhancing transparency in waste collection and expanding digital traceability under extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes.
Keywords:
circular plastic economy
informal waste collection
ocean plastic
plastic leakage
sustainable development goals
waste management
AI Summary
Key information extracted from the uploaded paper, including a brief overview, abstract, background, key highlights, visual analysis, and future outlook.
Journal
IF:
8.2
Papers:
3.9K
Citations:
1.2W
Organization
Cited Papers