Plastics

Development and globalization, to understate it, are complicated things. Changing a society that makes more money to buy more things that have been introduced through newly-established international trading (with, primarily, cheap producers in China) leads to a much higher GDP, but whether it actually improves quality of life is another question altogether. Let's have Mr. McGuire introduce an effect from globalization:

Mr. McGuire: I just want to say one word to you. Just one word.

Benjamin: Yes, sir.

Mr. McGuire: Are you listening?

Benjamin: Yes, I am.

Mr. McGuire: Plastics.

Benjamin: Exactly how do you mean?

This is how he means in Malawi:

Delicious corn field

You may be wondering what those ridges are? They are furrows for planting maize. How would you like some of that corn?

In Malawi and many other developing countries (it was identical in Mongolia), just enough wealth exists to create a demand in retail businesses for goods wrapped and made out of plastic. Additionally, rather than using traditional leather or reed containers, shoppers receive everything in a plastic bag. Unfortunately, this change has not coincided with a system or culture for collecting and disposing of this waste. Every day while walking about town you will see locals simply tossing their rubbish onto the ground, likely because that has always been sufficient: until recently, everything was biodegradable. Furthermore, even if someone wants to get rid of their trash "correctly" the options are not available. I have seen only a few bins, all of which have been overflowing. Or, as is commonly popular, folks pitch their trash over the wall into a pile and burn it:

Burn pile behind housing complex

Not exactly a good alternative. One system that has worked and is similarly employed in the United States is a deposit system. While ours in Oregon is on nearly all bottles (glass, aluminum, and plastic), in Malawi there is a deposit on glass drinking bottles. The result? In more than a month I have yet to see a broken or trashed glass soda/beer bottle. A deposit is incredibly effective. Why, then, is it not expanded to all products? Put a price on a good and the market responds.