The Plastic Crisis Awareness Exhibits Spotlight the Increase in Plastic Consumption Over A Lifetime of An Average Myanmar Person from 25 Years Ago to Today

Apr 8, 2019

Yangon, Myanmar – April 8, 2019 – Yoma Bank and Thant Myanmar partnered together to promote public awareness about plastic crisis in Myanmar by highlighting how much one time use plastic consumption has increased over the past 25 years in Myanmar. As part of Yoma Bank’s 25th Anniversary 25for25 celebration, the Bank and Thant Myanmar have launched a series of 15 exhibits from March 2019 to June 2019 to raise awareness about “A Lifetime of Plastic Consumption, 25 Years Ago and Today”. This campaign is a partnership collaboration between Yoma Bank and Thant Myanmar, which thereby aim to highlight a lifetime of consumption of plastic bottles, plastic bags, and single use plastic sachets of an average Myanmar individual’s lifetime today compared to 25 years ago. The goal of this exhibit is to address the dramatic increase of plastic consumption and plastic pollution to the public: single use plastic usage has increased about 10 times over the past 25 years. The mobile awareness exhibition is displayed as an art installation made from used plastic water bottles, plastic bags, and single use sachets. The exhibit not only highlights the plastic usage comparison as an art installation, but also displays alternative ways to reduce single use plastic consumption. The exhibits are being displayed across Yangon, Nay Pi Taw, and Mandalay cities.

Seven of fifteen exhibits have been successfully exhibited in the different places such as Ocean Shwe Gone Daing from Mar 18th to 20th, Alleyway between 35th street and Mahabandoola park street renovated by Doh Eain from March 21st to 23rd, Marketplace 6.5 miles) from March 24th to 26th, Ocean North Point from March 27th to 28th, Farmers and Makers Market (Kandawgyi) from March 29th to March 31st, Dulwich College Star City from April 1st to 4th, Mahabadoola park from April 5th to 8th. The next events will be after Thingyan in Yangon, Mandalay and Nay Pyi Taw and in particular in Marketplace Golden Valley from April 20th to 21st, Myanmar plaza from April 26th to 29th and in City Mart 19 in Mandalay from May 7th to 10th. Admission is free and everyone is welcome.

Information related to plastic pollution and alternative ways are being displayed on beautiful typographic poster designs to create awareness of plastic crisis whilst the exhibit installations include interactive space that invites viewers to consider plastic crisis impact over the 25 years comparison and to take photos with the exhibit installations. Yoma Bank and Thant Myanmar’s ambition is that viewers will understand more about the negative impact of the single use plastic and reduce plastic usage to save Myanmar from plastic pollution. The long-term goal is to make people reduce their plastic consumption and to change their daily habits of using plastic cups, straws, and bags. Since 2018, Yoma Bank has also made changes internally within the head office and branches to reduce plastic consumption by Yoma Bank employees by replacing plastic water bottles with reusable glass bottles and water fill stations branch wide. By practicing sustainability, the Bank is aiming to reduce the amount of plastic usage within the Bank, and strives to create a plastic free environment.

“At Yoma Bank, we are committed to Myanmar’s sustainable future and recognize that our environment is the foundation of our living and working lives. Over the past few years, plastic waste has become a visible problem and we are proud to be able to raise awareness on this issue We can all do our part by using reusable cups and water bottles as well as other items,” Hal Bosher, CEO, Yoma Bank.

Based on the data that Thant Myanmar has researched, an estimated 200 tons of plastic waste is being dumped in the country’s waterways every day, causing serious harm to the environment, and 50% of the 200 tons end up in the Irrawaddy River. As plastics takes can take several hundred years to decompose, plastic pollution is a huge environmental and health issue. Globally – every human eats roughly 70,000 tiny pieces of plastic (micro plastic) per year, which can cause serious health problems to all of the human race in the long run.

Thant Myanmar has been created about a year ago initially as a grassroots movement to fight plastic pollution in Myanmar. We are working on different levels, from reduction campaigns to advocacy to companies and government and of course on awareness raising. About the latest, we already lead a celebrity video clips campaign which have been screened on all the main TV channels together with the European Union, we implemented a billboard campaign with the Danish Embassy, not only in Yangon with together with the YCDC but also in Chin and Rakhine state. We also organized several events such as clean ups throughout the country for last year World Environment Day as well as another art installation and a Trashion show about a month ago. Each of these activities support general awareness raising and we can already feel the impact on many levels. We are very glad to work together with Yoma Bank on this mobile art installation displaying a lifetime of plastic consumption 25 years ago and today. This is another step contributing to raise awareness about the issue.” Boris Le Montagner, Events and Awareness Raising, Thant Myanmar.