How 3.5% can transform our circular future

Of our gratitude, ambitions, and dreams for a waste-free and liveable planet

SEArcularity

May 12, 2025

Hello again! It's Mutiara and Danna here from SEArcularity.

We'd like to pop by on your Sunday to share our biggest appreciation yet.

If you’ve been around for a long time, thank you for circling back.

And if you're new here, thank you for joining the circle—we absolutely love having you here.

But that’s not all! We’re thrilled to share that we’ve surpassed 100+ subscribers last week. 🎉

Here’s to celebrating our small wins and advancing our circularity agenda. YAY!

Why Every Single One Of You Matters

Let's talk about something that might seem small but is impactful: the 3.5% rule.

According to research from Harvard, meaningful societal change happens when just 3.5% of a population actively engages with a cause.

Not a majority, not even close to half—just 3.5% of dedicated individuals can tip the scales toward transformation.

That's exactly why we're here, writing to you, and why your presence matters so much.

The planet isn't just "in trouble". It's gasping for breath.

According to the World Bank’s What a Waste 2.0 Report, the world generates a mind-boggling 2.01 billion tonnes of waste per year. Waste pollution threatens over 800 species worldwide, and let’s not forget the human toll: 9 million premature deaths each year are linked to waste and pollution exposure.

If that doesn’t make you want to hug your reusable water bottle a little tighter, I don’t know what will.

👉 Also check out: The best waste is the one that's not created

So, Why Southeast Asia?

You'll notice that we'll talk a lot about Southeast Asia. You might wonder why.

Well, if you still haven't noticed that yet, the reason why we capitalise SEA in SEArcularity is because SEA stands for Southeast Asia.

Cue the *mind-blown* effect. Are you mind blown yet? Credit: GIPHY

Southeast Asia, known as the fifth-largest economy in the world, also has (in our opinion) the best food in the world.

Isn't that enough reason to save this region from cooking up delicious tom yam or adobo that don’t have microplastics in their ingredients?

Just kidding. Or are we? 🤨

The truth is, Southeast Asia continues to be the world's dumping ground, receiving a staggering 60% of global plastic waste imports.

Less than 20% of this waste gets recycled, while over 70% ends up in landfills or open dumpsites.

But here's where the story gets personal.

👉 Also check out: The rise of circular economy in Southeast Asia.

The Faces Behind the Numbers

While corporations bear massive responsibility (yes, we're looking at you, big polluters 👀), the burden falls disproportionately on communities least equipped to handle it.

The backbone of our region's waste management? Informal waste workers who make up 50–70% of the workforce, with around 60% being women working in toxic environments for less than $2 a day.

👉 Also check out: The gender gap in the recycling system.

These aren't just statistics—they're our neighbours, our ecosystems, our future.

So, Yes—Your Voice Matters

A recent Bloomberg article highlighted a crucial point: when it comes to environmental policy-making, the voices that matter most are missing from the conversation.

These include young people, diverse perspectives, and everyday citizens.

In Japan, for example, the majority of participants on energy policy consultative bodies were men in their 50s to 70s, many associated with power-intensive industries.

As one critic pointed out: "Have they imagined what 2050 might look like for their children and grandchildren?"

As it has been said articulately by a professor from the University of Tokyo:

Or as renewable energy entrepreneur Ikeda said:

This is exactly why we created this newsletter: to amplify voices like yours and build that critical mass of 3.5%.

🙌 Your Support Keeps This Circle Growing

We're doing this work independently, without any sponsorship or ad placements, because we believe in democratising information about circular economy solutions.

We want to keep the core content FREE and accessible to everyone.

Your support—whether it's reading our newsletter from start to finish, sharing it with friends on WhatsApp, giving us a shoutout on LinkedIn, or hitting that "like" button on Subtstack—helps us expand our reach toward that magical 3.5% threshold.

For those who want to go the extra mile, we offer a paid subscription option that provides exclusive deep-dive content.

This support helps sustain our independent journalism while we figure out more sustainable funding models.

A Space for Open & Nuanced Conversations

We hope this space becomes a good starting point for healthy discussion, a place to learn and grow, and a community that transitions Southeast Asia—and beyond—toward a circular economy.

We're two women from Indonesia and the Philippines who've journeyed from the bustling streets of Southeast Asia to attain a master's degree in sustainability management in Barcelona.

Now, apart from collaborating with partners worldwide, we’re bringing the insights gained from our education back home and rekindling circular economy principles in our beloved region through this multicultural odyssey.

Whether you're a frustrated environmentalist, a discouraged corporate sustainability advocate, or a conscious consumer who knows the top 1% are mostly to blame but commits to individual actions anyway—you've found your tribe.

We're stoked to have you here, learning together, united by the impact-driven mission that we all share and love: a waste-free future, and a liveable, thriving home for all.

If you still haven't yet, join the circle by subscribing to our newsletter!