Thailand to ban imports of high-tech trash, plastic waste
Southeast Asia nations fear they are the new dumping ground for the world’s trash after China banned the entry of several types of waste as part of a campaign against foreign garbage.
Southeast Asia
Indonesia raises minimum age for brides to end child marriage
Indonesia’s parliament has revised the country’s marriage law to lift the minimum age at which women can marry by three years to 19, a move welcomed by campaigners as a step toward curbing child marriage.
Singapore abolishes school exam rankings, says learning is not competition
The Ministry of Education (MOE) said on Friday (Sept 28) that the change is to allow each student to focus on his or her learning progress and discourage them from being overly concerned about comparisons.
Australia to build world’s largest solar farm
The project, known as Sun Cable, will introduce a 10 GW array of solar panels across 37,000 acres and send much of its output to Singapore.
Malaysia will decriminalize drug possession for personal use
A representative from the Malaysian government said that decriminalization is a step toward a rational drug policy that puts science and public health before punishment and incarceration.
Vietnam to install 1 gigawatt of onshore wind power installed by 2021
The Global Wind Energy Council expects Vietnam will install 1 GW of new wind capacity by 2021 in a move it believes could solidify the country as a regional wind power leader.
Philippines passes law requiring students to plant 10 trees to graduate
The law formalises a tradition of planting trees upon graduation, which is also hoped to simultaneously combat global climate change.
Bali bans single-use plastics
Bali Governor Wayan Koster announced that the Indonesian province of Bali is officially banning single-use plastics. The country produces 3.2 million tons of plastic annually.
UV-LED water purification partnership to save 6 billion water bottles from landfills in the Philippines
Acuva Technologies, based out of British Columbia, Canada, has announced its partnership with Quezon City-based Kooler Industries, in an effort to make a significant difference in the war against plastic waste in the Philippines.
Bali to impose ‘tourist tax’ for plastic pollution
Bali is facing a plastic pollution crisis, producing over 3,800 tonnes of waste every day and has now drafted a bylaw on tourist contributions for the environment and cultural preservation. The ‘tourist tax’ will involve a fee of $10 for overseas visitors to the island.