A United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) representative in Cambodia on Wednesday called for joint action to reduce solid waste in the country.
Speaking at the Circular Economy National Meeting: Innovating Solid Waste Management in Cambodia, Nick Beresford, UNDP country director in Cambodia, said recent reports on plastics entering drinking water were extremely alarming.
According to the Cambodian Ministry of Environment, solid waste disposal in municipal landfills has drastically increased from 318,000 tons per annum in 2004 to 1.5 million tons per annum in 2017.
"This situation is particularly alarming in major cities, such as Phnom Penh, which produces 2,300 tons of waste on a daily basis," said a UNDP's press release.
The meeting gathered experts on solid waste management, private companies, young people, advocates and representatives from the Cambodian government to form a coalition to address the growing issue, the release added.
"When we look closer, we find that more than 90 percent of all waste consists of recyclable materials. And the volume of recyclable materials has also been growing annually," Beresford said.
One avenue to tackle the development in Cambodia would be to adopt the circular economy approach, the release said, adding that this emerging concept has been gathering support worldwide, especially in achieving sustainable and greener cities.
A circular economy takes aim at reducing methane levels, one of the main greenhouse gas emissions in the waste sector, it said.
The Cambodian government "welcome new and innovative ways to tackle waste management challenges and look forward to working with new partners," said E Vuthy, deputy secretary general of the Secretariat of the National Council for Sustainable Development.