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Metro Manila's Waste Disposal Facilities

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Metro Manila's Waste Disposal Facilities

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Unfortunately, the Philippines’ reduction, reuse, and recycling system, as well as final disposal in environmentally sanitary landfills, could still be viewed as ineffective and inefficient in achieving a clean environment and in lowering the greenhouse gas emissions in impacting climate change.

Regarding disposal, only 4%, or 56 local government units, now use sanitary landfills (SLF), as shown in Table 1. The low compliance of local governments to establish sanitary landfills was attributed to the high cost of closing dumpsites and the need for more financial and technical assistance to implement the law. As a result, some LGUs continue to use ordinary sanitary landfills. 68 of the 946 open and controlled dumps are being prepared for closure. LGUs in Metro Manila are now using sanitary landfills. Metro Manila LGUs use the following sanitary landfills: Navotas SLF, Rizal Provincial SLF, and Pilotage SLF. Unsanitary landfills and open dumps jeopardize the land since mixing used plastic with degradable organic matter from MSW forms leachate percolation into the soil, contaminating the country's surface and groundwater.

Source: Castillo & Otoma (2013)

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The lack of government support and compliance hinders addressing the plastic pollution in the Philippines, especially in Metro Manila. The government lacks financial aid to provide closed dumpsites and sanitary landfills.

There is also no national policy that interconnects LGUs, barangays, and municipalities in Metro Manila to ensure everyone complies with avoiding plastics, instead of implementing autonomous ordinances with different intended regulations about plastic usage per municipality.

Source:

Castillo & Otoma (2013)

Domingo & Manejar (2021)

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DILG orders 108 LGUs to explain failure to submit solid waste management plans

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The Department of the Interior and Local Government orders 108 local government units to explain why they have failed to implement their 10-year solid waste management plans.

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Republic Act 9003: Ecological Solid Waste Management Act

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Republic Act 9003: Ecological Solid Waste Management Act

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Series of national laws have been passed since before with the aim to settle proper environmental practices towards sustainable solid waste management. However, the Republic Act 9003 of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act was seen to be ineffective (Domingo & Manejar, 2021). The ineffectiveness of the law was due to bureaucracies, mediocre policy grounding, existence of illegal dumpsites, subpar technology and facility investments, substandard material recovery facility. Another reason  that the study highlighted was the poor participation of the public sector and the private industries (Domingo & Manejar, 2021).

Private sector benefits from poor implementation of waste management practices. The laxer the implementation of the laws regarding waste management and sewage disposal treatments, the lower the level of participation of the private sectors in investing in proper disposal and proper sewage treatment. With this, they save costs of not building the proper facilities for their waste disposals (Domingo & Manejar, 2021).

Source:
National Integrated Climate Change Database Information and Exchange System - NICCDIES (2020)

Castillo & Otoma (2013)

Domingo & Manejar (2021)

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What's Working - Strategies for Developing Countries

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What's Working - Strategies for Developing Countries

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The Philippines can also incorporate the same strategies as India, where they focus their collective efforts on these aspects:

Waste-to-Energy Conversion: The Waste to Energy (WTE) process captures the heat produced by combustion, which can then be used to heat water, generate steam, or generate electricity via a steam-powered turbine. The generated energy can be used directly by the plant or exported to a nearby utility or business. It reduces landfill waste by converting waste to energy and can significantly reduce the amount of waste that enters landfills. Also, it produces a significant amount of energy, where the electricity produced can cover 50% or more of the plant's needs.

Strong Government Policies: Policies must not only encompass banning single-use plastics but also policies against plastic production and international plastic trading. Advanced countries started by having a climate action plan containing all foreign policy aspects, including national security and trade policy. For example, global emissions trading schemes make countries buy and sell carbon credits based on how much they emit.

Financial Sustainability: Long-term planning and proper taxes and fee structure budgeting can payoff projects to help governments limit plastic wastes

Household Engagement: Further engagement in solid waste management can motivate households to participate in reducing and recycling plastics by giving them incentives through refund-deposit schemes.

Firm Engagement: Plastics also originate from companies that produce them. Norway has a high compliance rate by encouraging firms to recycle plastic bottles where they are only required to pay less environmental taxes.

Source:

World Bank (2022)

Stericycle (2023)

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Have you seen the latest reports on the climate crisis? They're incredibly concerning, if not downright disturbing. Carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas, is at the highest level ever in human history, and it's causing climate disruptions on a grand scale. If you've been wondering whether wildfires, flash floods and heatwaves have been increasing in frequency recently, the answer is yes, and this is one big reason. Plus, experts say that we are currently witnessing the sixth mass extinction of plants and animals due to human activity-something that also accelerates climate instability. This situation is only going to get worse unless we make some important changes to restore the earth's balance. But there is some good news: The world's most sustainable countries are already doing their part to reverse the damage.

"Creative approaches to sustainability are happening in the grassroots more than in governments," notes Désirée Driesenaar, a blue economy expert and international sustainability consultant. "However, more and more governments are starting to see the benefits of a systemic approach."

Even with steps towards sustainability like California's gas car ban, the United States could learn a lot from these innovations in sustainable living. While you should definitely do your part to reduce your carbon footprint by learning how to upcycle, recycle (seriously, you can recycle almost anything) and more, we also need to make changes on a broader scale. The following examples from around the globe show us exactly what the future of recyclin g and sustainability could look like.

Several Caribbean islands have banned single-use plastics

Anton Petrus/Getty Images

According to a 2019 World Bank report, 320,000 tons of plastic waste remain uncollected every year in the Caribbean. This trash is discarded in the environment as litter or via illegal dumping, where it becomes a public health hazard and a nuisance. To stem the tide, several Caribbean nations have outlawed single-use plastic items, including plastic bags, food containers, cutlery and straws.

So far, at least 14 countries have placed various bans on the use and import of plastic. They include Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Eustatius, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago. Instead of plastic, some of the most sustainable countries are returning to traditional tree leaf wrappings, which are collected locally and used by vendors at open-air markets. In many countries, banana leaves are also used in food preparation and storage. You can even eat off them like plates! They are very compostable and can be reused as fertilizer, along with food waste.

Why it's important

Plastic pollution in our oceans is a huge problem. Experts estimate that by 2050, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish, by weight. Plastic is not biodegradable and will eventually break down into microplastics that turn up in our food and air; exposure to microplastics can lead to severe health consequences, such as neurotoxicity and increased cancer risk. Bans help reduce the plastic waste entering waterways.

In 2016, the United States produced 42 million metric tons of plastic waste-the most in the world. That's the equivalent of 286 pounds per person. Researchers also estimate that 1.5 million metric tons of U.S. plastic waste polluted coastal waterways beyond its borders in 2016. One easy swap that we could all make today? Using reusuable straws instead of plastic ones.

The Dominican Republic protects whales

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The Dominican Republic (DR) hosts the largest whale-watching industry in the Caribbean. To keep the ocean whale-friendly, the DR enforces strict regulations to protect these marine mammals during their migration, where they stop to mate or to calve and nurse their young. No more than three boats can watch a group of whales at the same time, and they must stay 250 meters away. There's also a limit on the number of permits awarded each season to boats going in restricted areas.

Why it's important

This initiative goes well beyond wanting to protect everyone's favorite gentle giants-whales are vital to the health of our planet. Microscopic phytoplankton are a whale's major food source, and these tiny plants are responsible for an estimated 50% of the oxygen humans need to survive; they also capture around 40% of all the carbon dioxide produced. Because of something called "the multiplier effect," whale presence actually increases the amount of phytoplankton in an area. Plus, each whale holds up to 33 tons of carbon dioxide over the course of its lifetime, and that carbon goes to the ocean's bottom once the animal dies. All of this means there are less greenhouse gases in the atmosphere causing global heating. Plus, ocean-protection strategies like the DR's can benefit the entire world at a time when the ocean's health has been compromised in many ways, from overfishing to plastic pollution.

Belize bans oil drilling to save its reef

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In 2018, this tiny Caribbean country passed legislation to ban oil exploration and drilling. A major motivator for Belize to do this was protecting the Belize Barrier Reef, the second largest barrier reef in the world. The 190-mile reef is home to 1,400 species of marine life, including endangered hawksbill turtles and six threatened species of sharks. Now, their action has paid off. UNESCO recently commended Belize for protecting its ocean so well that its Barrier Reef Reserve System was removed from the World Heritage Site's endangered list.

Why it's important

Reefs are important not just for maintaining the ocean's delicate ecosystem but also for protecting coastlines and coastal communities. And, of course, oil drilling harms the environment in significant ways. UN Secretary-General António Guterres called a recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report "code red for humanity." The report states that without a drastic reduction in carbon emissions this decade, the earth could become uninhabitable for millions of people by 2040, and Guterres called for countries to end all new fossil fuel exploration and production. So far, only Greenland and Ireland have done so, but a handful of countries, including France, Spain and Denmark, have plans to place bans on future oil exploration and extraction.

Costa Rica doesn't have a national army

Costa Rica is a "living Eden," full of lush forests and abundant wildlife. The small Central American country devotes most of its money to protecting its biodiversity instead of supporting an army. In 1949, Costa Ricans voted on it, and nothing has changed since. Nearly 40 years later, in 1998, Costa Rica passed the Biodiversity Act, which created protection zones for endangered and threatened wildlife; these zones remain in place when agriculture businesses or industry want to take over the land. The government also pays landowners to preserve old-growth forests and plant more trees, as well as uses taxes from fuel and cars and an energy and a water charge to protect the environment.

Why it's important

If the U.S. military were a country, it would be the 47th largest greenhouse gas (GHG) emitter in the world (based on fuel usage alone). That's more than the carbon emissions of 140 countries, and about the same as all of Portugal or Finland. It is the largest single organizational purchaser of fossil fuels on the globe. Since 2021, the U.S. military has released 1.2 billion metric tons of GHGs, equivalent to those emitted by 257 million passenger cars annually.

Now let's look at Costa Rica, which doesn't produce the high levels of carbon emissions and air pollution the military is known for. As a result, this sustainable country has a tiny carbon footprint-just 0.95 metric tons of GHGs in 2018, compared with the whopping 51,000 metric tons the U.S. military expends annually. The fact that 98% of its energy comes from renewable (carbon-free) sources, such as 65% hydropower and 35% wind and geothermal, helps too.

Norway recycles 97% of its plastic bottles

Norway is the world leader in recycling plastic bottles, due to its refundable deposit program. Through this system, 97% of all plastic bottles in this Scandinavian country are recycled, making Norway the highest recycling country for plastic. Of that, 92% is turned back into bottles. According to the chief executive of Infinitum, the company that runs the program, some of those plastic bottles have been recycled more than 50 times so far, and now, less than 1% of plastic bottles litter the environment.

How does Norway have such a high rate of compliance? If the companies that make plastic bottles recycle more, they pay less in environmental taxes. And if they recycle more than 95% of what they produce-which they've done collectively for the past 11 years-they don't have to pay those taxes at all. For consumers, a small tax is added to the cost of a beverage in a plastic bottle, and when they return the empty bottle, they get that money back in the form of cash or credit. Now, the country is turning toward aluminum recycling via a similar program.

Why it's important

The world has an enormous plastic pollution problem. Two garbage trucks full of plastic are dumped in the ocean every minute, and in the United States, only 29% of plastic bottles are recycled. But refund-deposit programs like Norway's are already spurring increases in recycling rates in other countries. Plus, in Norway, due to the huge success of this plastic recycling strategy the plastics industry itself is now requesting a tax on companies that use cheaper, virgin plastic instead of a higher percentage of recycled plastic. This could be a game-changer if it catches on globally.

The success of refund-deposit programs also demonstrates that getting a few cents back for every bottle is enough of a financial incentive for people to recycle their plastic bottles. Norway is one of 10 European countries with these refund-deposit programs, all of which are hugely successful. To up your recycling game, find out how to recycle bubble wrap and other packing materials.

Bhutan, Suriname, Panama and Tasmania have become carbon negative

So far, there are four distinct areas on earth that are classified as "carbon negative." This means that they remove more carbon emissions from the atmosphere than they put into it. Bhutan became the first carbon negative country in 2017, followed by Suriname. Panama and Tasmania joined the club in 2021 and 2022, respectively. They achieved this distinction mainly by preserving and restoring their forests, but restrictions on logging for export also helped, as did using renewable energy like hydropower instead of burning fossil fuels.

Through executive orders and legislation, these four sustainable countries worked for years, sometimes decades, to arrive at carbon negativity. Bhutan states in its constitution that at least 60% of its land must be forest. Today, it's at 71%. Meanwhile, Panama lost more than 7% of its forests before 2019 to cattle ranching, mining and logging, but it is aggressively working to restore them with the help of a nonprofit group, Rainforest Foundation US. The country is now 63% forested.

Why it's important

To return stability to our climate and ensure the world is habitable for future generations, countries need to reduce their carbon emissions and remove greenhouse gases they've already emitted. Bhutan, Suriname, Panama and Tasmania remove carbon dioxide through their extensive forests, which serve as carbon sinks and absorb it. Yes, these countries still emit some carbon dioxide, but the amount that their forests absorb surpasses it, leaving them with a net negative balance.

Besides protecting and restoring forest cover, countries can work toward becoming carbon negative by transitioning to renewable energies, especially hydropower, solar energy and wind energy. It is also necessary to put a limit on economic growth (aka degrowth) to reduce emissions produced by industry and the transportation sector.

Bhutan charges tourists a sustainability fee

Since March 2020, the tiny Buddhist country of Bhutan, located on the eastern edge of the Himalayas, has been closed to the outside world due to COVID-19. It will reopen to visitors without mandatory quarantine in September 2022. Now, though, its sustainable development fee will be three times what it once was, with tourists paying $200 per day to sightsee in the world's first carbon-negative country.

With this new sustainable travel policy, Bhutan aims to limit the crowds to keep the experience positive for citizens, tourists and the environment by adhering to its policy of "high value, low volume." This fee goes toward keeping the carbon footprints of tourists low with upgraded infrastructure and services, as well as toward replanting trees, improving hydropower capacity and electrifying the transport sector.

Why it's important

Bhutan's unspoiled forests and clean air, as well as its rich culture, are magnets for tourists. But when there are too many people visiting at once, the environment suffers. Overconsumption of natural resources, pollution and habitat loss are just some of the negative effects of tourism. According to 2018 research published in the journal Nature Climate Change, approximately 8% of global carbon emissions come from the tourism industry. If more countries placed limits on tourists through a high sustainability fee like Bhutan, travel would have a smaller carbon footprint.

Finland makes carbon negativity legally binding

In May 2022, Finland's parliament approved a revision to the country's Climate Change Act, which was passed in 2015. If signed by the president, as expected, Finland will become the first nation with a legally binding mandate to reduce carbon emissions. This act calls for carbon neutrality by 2035 and carbon negativity by 2040, and if the government does not meet the climate goals of the new law, Finnish citizens will be able to pursue legal recourse against their government to reduce carbon emissions.

Why it's important

Without a doubt one of the most sustainable countries, Finland is embarking on what Tom Mills, founder of Two Oceans Strategy Sustainability Consultancy, believes all countries striving to be sustainable must do: "put commitments into law, and [also] slice commitments decades away into yearly legally binding targets." Accountability will force politicians to enact change or face some very real repercussions. Some of the country's initiatives include a distance-based transport tax, modifying cows' diets to reduce methane production and drastically reducing heat and energy emissions.

Finland is also among the first countries to have a climate action plan for all aspects of foreign policy, including national security and trade policy. For instance, it is working on a global-emissions trading plan in which countries buy and sell carbon credits depending on how much they emit. Additionally, Finland is looking to engage the private sector in loans and investments to help poorer countries suffering the worst of the climate crisis.

Denmark prioritizes wind energy

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Denmark is a world leader in wind energy, starting its initiatives in the 1970s with onshore wind farms. In 2002, the country launched the then-largest offshore wind farm in the North Sea. To take advantage of stronger winds farther offshore, they're currently building an artificial island to house the infrastructure. Denmark also mandates that all new wind projects be 20% publicly owned. This encourages community investment in renewable energy and helps foster a green mindset in its citizens.

Why it's important

Using fossil fuels in power plants is the major way carbon emissions are produced. Burning them intensifies our climate crisis. In the United States in 2020, according to the EPA, the largest sources of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions were burning fossil fuels for transportation (27%), electricity (25%) and industry (24%). By contrast, renewable energy sources-namely, solar power and wind-are carbon-free. In 2021, Denmark produced 50% of its electricity by wind and solar. The United States got only 12% of its electricity from these two sources in the same year, even though solar energy is the cheapest way to produce it today, according to the International Energy Agency.

Another benefit? The more a country produces clean power within its own borders, the more independent it will become from foreign sources demanding volatile prices for fossil fuels, which leads to higher gas prices at the pump.

El Hierro Island focuses on energy and food self-sufficiency

A part of Spain's Canary Islands and a UNESCO-declared Biosphere Reserve, El Hierro is the first island in the world to be completely self-sufficient in terms of renewable energy production. To accomplish this, it uses both water and wind at a hydro/wind plant. Plans for this plant started in 2004, and it went live in 2015.

According to Driesenaar, El Hierro is the epitome of what a self-sufficient, sustainable country should look like. Besides renewable energy production, this island also achieves food and water independence. El Hierro, she explains, "provides reliable energy from local sources and creates healthy drinking water from desalination. They grow healthy food with regenerative farming (yield of +50%)."

Why it's important

Through its renewable energy plant, tiny El Hierro prevents 18,700 tonnes of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere and reduces the use of diesel by 40,000 barrels a year. The island's sustainable goals have the country on its way to becoming 100% self-sufficient in food and water as well as in energy.

Renewable (carbon-free) energy is critical for self-sufficiency. So, too, is a country's ability to feed itself. El Hierro practices regenerative farming, which nurtures the soil to create lasting food security. By contrast, fossil fuel-intensive countries with large chemical inputs are not "climate smart" in the long term, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization.

China works to absorb floodwaters with sponge cities

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Parts of China have experienced massive flooding recently, leading to multiple deaths, loss of crops and property destruction. To counteract these negative effects, China is building so-called "sponge cities" to absorb the rain deluges. These cities feature an abundance of plant life in every conceivable location, including on the walls and roofs of buildings. There are also interconnected greenways and waterways and open green spaces. Since 2014, 30 pilot sponge cities were started in places including Beijing, Tianjin, Wuhan and Shenzhen. Funded by central and local governments, as well as public-private partnerships, sponge cities can be built on or around existing cities.

Why it's important

Experts predict that the rapid onslaught of extreme water events, an effect of our climate crisis, will get worse in the coming decades. China's sponge cities represent one solution to this problem. In effect, sponge cities function as restored wetlands, where tree and plant roots absorb excess water. They also filter out pollutants, offering a ready source of potable water when needed. Moreover, several layers of trees and plants provide shelter to animals and the chance to plant more species, both of which promote biodiversity, according to Driesenaar.

In the United States, the sponge-city concept could be useful in urban areas lacking greenery, low-lying states prone to storms and places close to waterways that flood.

Indonesia is restoring its mangrove forests

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Mangrove forests are made up of trees and shrubs along coastal areas, where their dense roots stabilize the coast, preventing erosion. They also serve as huge carbon sinks, and globally, they remove 100 million tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere every year. Indonesia has the most mangrove forests in the world, but in the last few decades, they have been cut down mostly for palm oil plantations, rice fields, fish ponds or shrimp farming. The Indonesian island Java has lost 70% of its mangroves in these ways.

To reverse this trend, the Netherlands-based nonprofit Wetlands International has provided loans and training to local residents to construct natural bamboo barriers that slow down the ocean waves enough to allow mangrove forests to regenerate. As a result, between 2005 and 2018, Indonesia restored 8.5% of its mangrove forests. And in 2018, the government introduced the National Mangrove Ecosystem Management Strategy to restore even more. By 2024, they hope to restore 600,000 hectares.

Why it's important

Indonesia's ecological restoration allows nature to heal itself without expensive technology. According to Driesenaar, these initiatives "combine mangrove restoration with ecological fish farming and added-value food products from mangrove leaves ... with minimal human intervention. The mangroves aren't planted. Instead, sediments are trapped behind bamboo walls, and nature regenerates herself. These projects are now being scaled quickly all over Asia." The United States is also engaged in similar projects, restoring mangroves and coastal wetlands at the mouth of the Mississippi River and in the Florida Everglades, as well as replanting eelgrass (a type of seagrass) in the Virginia Coast Reserve.

While natural restoration plays a smaller role in drawing down carbon from the atmosphere than cutting back on fossil fuels, every little bit helps. But there's another essential step in this process: "Phasing out fossil fuels while restoring degraded lands and forests must also be coupled with ending deforestation," write Australian researchers Kate Dooley and Zebidee Nicholls in The Conversation. "Otherwise, the emissions from deforestation will wipe out any gains from carbon removal."

The Netherlands is phasing out livestock production

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Concerned about the large amount of nitrogen emissions from agriculture, the Dutch government recently announced a phase-out of animal agriculture. The goal is to reduce levels of ammonia from animal waste and fertilizer by 2030-by as much as 70% in some areas. How big is the nitrogen issue in the Netherlands? Farms contribute about 50% of all nitrogen pollution in the country, and globally, 60% of nitrogen pollution comes from livestock raising.

Other methods to reduce ammonia, including air scrubbers and manure injection into soil, have helped, but more dairy farms built in 2014 have escalated the problem. Erlijn van Genuchten, an international sustainability expert, says the Dutch government wants to reduce the fertilizer and manure runoff from all livestock farms by paying producers to quit. The Dutch government also wants to reduce nitrogen oxides, produced mainly from fossil fuel burning in power plants, factories and vehicles.

Why it's important

Livestock raising causes massive nitrogen pollution, which results from the pesticides used to grow animal feed and from manure. And new research published in Science shows that extreme storms due to the climate crisis will increase nitrogen runoff from intensive agriculture into waterways by 19%, leading to toxic blue-green algal blooms, "dead zones" and massive fish kills.

Besides nitrogen pollution, animal agriculture accounts for approximately 15% of all carbon emissions globally and uses 30% of all freshwater. Reducing the number of animals raised for food will lower carbon emissions and water use and reduce environmental pollution, which leads to a shocking 16,000 deaths annually in the United States alone. One study published in PLOS Climate in 2022 showed that a global phase-out of animal agriculture could offset 68% of carbon emissions this century. In case you're curious, here's what else would happen if everyone stopped eating meat one day a week.

Japan has started growing food under solar panels

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Wouldn't it be great if humans could simultaneously grow food, generate electricity and conserve water? Japan is doing this with agrivoltaics. Also called dual solar or solar sharing, agrivoltaics is a new farming technique that's perfect in small countries like Japan, where land is limited. These solar arrays are located on large poles, and crops, gardens or grazing animals are present underneath the solar panels or in between rows. Since there isn't ample space for both crops and solar installations, combining the two in one place achieves food and energy production at the same time. In 2021, Japan's New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Office (NEDO) released new guidelines to attract more ground-mount agrivoltaic installations to the country.

So far, about 200 gigawatts (GW) of solar power is being generated through the agrivoltaic setups located throughout the country on 182 hectares. The government estimates that 10% of agricultural land in the country could support 440 GW of solar power through agrivoltaics.

Why it's important

With an ever-growing human population estimated to be 9.8 billion by 2050, more food and energy will be needed on our finite planet of limited resources. In agrivoltaics, crops and livestock flourish under solar panels that convert sun power to usable electricity for local communities. And as drought creeps across the world in key agricultural regions, conserving water is critical. In this setup, shading aids in water retention by crops and soil. Through agrivoltaics, humans produce food and energy at the same time.

Other countries accelerating agrivoltaics include China, France and, recently, Africa.

Some countries have granted legal rights to ecosystems and rivers

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In legal disputes surrounding water ecosystems-for clean, potable water or for irrigation rights-waterways cannot speak for themselves. In Ecuador, New Zealand, India and Bangladesh, this is no longer the case. In these sustainable countries, the rights of nature are legally binding against governments and corporations. This means that rivers or forests have a voice in court like any other "legal person," via human custodians. For example, a person entrusted with the welfare of wetlands could seek compensation on behalf of that natural entity for harms (i.e., pollution) done to it. A court could order restoration by the polluter as payment for those harms.

Why it's important

So far, there have been several legal cases in which a natural entity was awarded damages. The first was in 2011, when a court ordered a construction company throwing waste into Ecuador's Vilcabamba River to clean it up. The company did not comply, but the river's legal custodian couldn't afford to bring a second suit before the court. More recently, there have been a number of cases using the "rights of nature" concept as a defense against carbon emissions. Three cases in South American countries are currently pending. A 2021 case in Pakistan, invoking the rights of nature, banned the construction of cement plants-which are huge carbon dioxide emitters-in ecologically sensitive areas.

In the future, proponents of the rights of nature could also use this defense in a court of law to stop the carbon emissions of governments or corporations. In this case, the climate would be the natural entity.

Cuba strengthens vulnerable communities

Stanislav Simonov/Getty Images

As a small island nation, Cuba is vulnerable to sea-level rise caused by glaciers and sea ice rapidly melting due to global heating. To preserve their country and survive predicted ecological catastrophes, the Cuban Council of Ministers approved the Tarea Vida (Life Task) in 2017. It is a short- and long-term strategy to assist Cuban citizens and local communities adapting to life in a climate crisis full of extreme weather events, sea-level rise and food insecurity. It also serves as a climate-mitigation plan by including a framework for a renewable energy transition and a strategy for protecting and restoring the environment.

To date, as a result of Tarea Vida, 11% of coastal homes have been relocated, and 147 square miles of mangrove forests have been restored as a natural barrier to incoming storms. To ensure clean water for homes and agriculture against impending seawater infiltration, the government has invested $41.4 million in hydraulic infrastructure.

Why it's important

Tarea Vida is a blueprint for low-cost climate crisis adaptation that is homegrown and doesn't depend on foreign control. It also doesn't focus on emergent technological solutions like carbon-capture technologies or geo-engineering, which are costly and risky. Instead, it depends on village teamwork to relocate homes or construct bamboo barriers to restore mangrove forests.

A roadmap for a more equitable society living in harmony with nature, Tarea Vida represents a vision of humanity using natural resources wisely for the good of all, well into the next century. By contrast, societies based in capitalism focus on private-wealth acquisition, which often leads to environmental destruction and large amounts of pollution. But by shifting the focus to helping communities help themselves, they can be more self-sufficient and less vulnerable when disaster strikes. This could also help combat environmental racism.
Sources:

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What We Can Learn from the World's Most Eco-Friendly Countries

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Have you seen the latest reports on the climate crisis? They're incredibly concerning, if not downright disturbing. Carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas, is at the highest level ever in human history, and it's causing climate disruptions on a grand scale.

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Plastic Circularity Data in the Philippines (World Bank, 2022).

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The Philippine Data: Plastic Circulation

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The Philippine Data: Plastic Circulation

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Plastics are not only important to the Philippine economy (they contributed US$2.3 billion in 2018), but they also provide low-cost consumer goods to low- and middle-income families. However, the Philippines’ reliance on single-use plastics, such as multilayer sachets and pouches, has led to the country’s “sachet economy,” worsening the region’s alarming levels of marine plastic pollution. According to some estimates, the entire national population consumes a whopping 163 million sachets daily (World Bank, 2022).

Every year, the Philippines generates 2.7 million tons of plastic waste, with an estimated 20% ending in the ocean. With over 7,500 islands, the Philippines’ coastal communities and the fishing, shipping, and tourism industries are particularly vulnerable to the effects of marine debris (World Bank, 2022).

Plastic garbage has become a major headache for Metro Manila's nearly 13 million residents. According to data from the Solid Waste Management Division (SWMD), the city generates nearly 10,000 tons of garbage daily (Sarmiento, 2018).

Source:
World Bank (2022)
Sarmiento (2018)

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Republic Act 9003: Ecological Solid Waste Management Act

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Republic Act 9003: Ecological Solid Waste Management Act

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According to the Development of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the ecological Solid Waste Management (SWM) Program is anticipated to support Local Government Units (LGUs) in putting RA 9003, the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, into effect, notably in the creation of their 10-year plan:

An environmentally sound disposal system

The SWM Plan provides the guidelines regarding the collection, transportation, and disposal of garbage wastes.

Waste Segregation and Storage

Waste Collection

Waste Transport

Waste Treatment & Disposal

The closure and rehabilitation of dumpsites

The construction of Materials Recovery Facilities

The World Bank supported the initiative of the Philippines where solid waste was minimized in rivers in Metro Manila, hence lowering the risk of flooding and marine litter, especially in Manila Bay by concentrating on better collection methods, community-based approaches, and offering incentives.

Source:

GreenDevelopment Sustainable Solutions (2022)

DENR (2022)

World Bank (2022)

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Allotted budget for solid waste management decrease to P256M- DENR

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Seven different types of plastic are utilized worldwide, which differ in size, color, usage, and disposal. In theory, almost all plastic is considered for recycling; however, it is crucial to know that they undergo different barriers that can undermine this process. For instance, plastic with thicker layers is more complex, costly, and time-consuming to recycle.

1. Plastics 1-PET and 2-HDPE are the most accessible plastic polymers to recycle.

2. Plastic 3-PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) is not recyclable in regular collections.

3. Plastic 4-LDPE (Low-density Polyethylene) is the type of plastic bag used in grocery stores, which is difficult to recycle as they usually tangle in recycling machinery.

4. Plastic 5-PP (Polypropylene) is the most popular plastic material for product packaging globally, but it takes 20-30 years to decompose, making recycling difficult and expensive.

5. Plastics 6-PS (Polystyrene) and 7-Other can never be recycled.

Source:

Plastics For Change (2021)

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As you might know, there are seven different types of plastic being used around the world - they differ in size, color, usage and disposal (if you didn't know you can check our previous article where we explain the difference between these types). But, as a conscious (and curious) consumer, you might wonder: what types of plastic are recyclable? And what products can be obtained by recycling plastic? Well, if you are interested in discovering which plastic can be recycled and are curious about the second life of plastic waste, keep reading!
THE BARRIERS TO RECYCLING
In principle, almost all plastic can be recycled. However, in practice, there are a variety of different barriers that can undermine this process. Unfortunately, it does not always make environmental, economic, or technical sense to do so. Here are some reasons why recycling cannot always happen:

Many times, items can include multiple types of plastic and different layers which are hard to separate and make recyclability difficult and costly.

Plastics can often be contaminated by food and other substances, making the resins not clean enough to be reused.

Recycling facilities cost millions of dollars to build and operate can only be profitable when a huge amount of plastic is treated every day. Small quantities of plastics can therefore make recycling non-economical and non-beneficial, due to low efficiencies and high costs.

But don't get discouraged! Despite these barriers, recycling still does happen and incredible products come out of this process. The majority of recycled plastic comes from post-consumer sources. This means that the milk jugs, bottles, packaging films that you throw away in the recycling bin, after undergoing the right process, will become post-consumer recycled material!

At Plastics for Change, for example, we use post-consumer recycled plastic to produce shampoo bottles, cosmetic caps, packaging films among other products. But let's take this step by step.
WHICH PLASTIC CAN BE RECYCLED 1-PET
The most widely recycled plastic in the world is PET. Nonetheless, despite being a relatively easy plastic to recycle, some countries are still struggling to reach decent recycling rates. India, Europe and South Korea all have rates higher than 50% but countries like the US and China are yet to scale up those numbers .

The latest global statistics tell us that, in 2011, approximately 7.5 million tons of PET were collected worldwide. But what were they transformed into? Well, as crazy as it might seem, a substantial part of PET plastic (mostly found in plastic bottles) is usually recycled into fashion items! Among the items that can be obtained we find polar fleece clothes, backpacks, and carpets. That's right, the plastic bottle you recycle today can become a cool t-shirt you will wear in a few months! Indeed, this recycling process involves transforming PET into flakes which can then be spun as a yarn. And these yarn are then used to manufacture clothes and other textile garments.

Alternatively, PET bottles can be recycled into... PET bottles! In fact, they are made of one of the few polymers that can be recycled into the same form - a new beverage bottle - again and again. During the process the PET is generally blended in a ratio of virgin to recycled, to give strength to the material for use in a new product.

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Which Plastic Can Be Recycled? | Plastics For Change

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As you might know, there are seven different types of plastic being used around the world and as a conscious (and curious) consumer, you might wonder: what types of plastic are recyclable? Well, if you are interested in discovering which plastic can be recycled, keep reading!

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India’s Aerobic and Anaerobic Composting

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India’s Aerobic and Anaerobic Composting

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India is a developing country that has been using aerobic composting (organic compost as fertilizers), anaerobic composting (biogas as fuel or electricity), or refuse-derived fuel (secondary fuel for the solid fuel industry) to manage its municipal solid waste. The standard technique for composting had nearly 70 plants established in India by 2012, primarily located in Maharashtra. Of 57 cities that generate municipal solid waste with more than 200 tons per day (TPD), 38 have composting plants managing around 4361 TPD of waste. Six refuse-derived fuel plants and sanitary landfills in 8 cities have helped efficiently manage municipal solid waste. Waste-to-Energy combustion is also used to break down solid waste thermally and produce electricity or other forms of energy. The waste produced in India contains nearly 60% organic content and 10% paper, making the waste 70% renewable as biofuel energy. The waste-to-energy combustion decreases the volume of waste by 90%, thus increasing the life of landfills from 20 to 200 years, approximately.

Source: Srivastava (2014)

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https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hKM1LzbpKDrlJMlRWJiN6YyqhLm35OXw/view?usp=sharing

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We have discovered many key lessons upon doing this advocacy in response to the waste management issue in the Philippines. Business creators and current entrepreneurs should adapt to sustainability by preventing plastic production and usage as raw materials and packaging items. The fitting industry that should quickly transform into this is FMCG firms since they mostly use plastics for sachet packaging. This is because the root cause of plastic pollution comes from those who manufacture plastic itself, thus enticing their customers also to use plastics. They can introduce eco-friendly biodegradable packaging materials and compostable mailers as alternatives to reduce plastic landfills in dumps that take more than twenty years to decompose.

As Dr. Lamberte said, some firms in the Philippines still need to be made aware of eco-friendly or recycled materials, so they must try to produce or reuse recyclable plastic waste and turn it into something useful that can be profitable.

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According to DENR data, five days of coastal cleanup on the Manila Bay island last month yielded 16,000 kg of trash, most of which were plastics, including aluminum sachets and plastic blends. These packets give some of Asia’s poorest people access to essential household items. It is a way for multinational corporations to increase sales by targeting customers who can’t afford larger quantities (Lema, 2019).

However, no national policy prevents these multinational companies from producing plastic packaging items, mostly made of polypropylene, that require 20-30 years to degrade. The RA 9003: Ecological Solid Waste Management Act and current municipal ordinances only executed policies that signal consumers to cease and discard plastics properly. Hence, they failed to determine the root cause of plastics, which typically come from the producers themselves.

Source:

Lema (2019)

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Conca (2019) stated that in a study conducted by YouGov, 90% of the population knew that climate change is real and is due to human activity. In a study conducted by the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative of Harvard University (2020, as cited in reliefweb United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 2020), the Philippines have low awareness of climate change. On the other hand, Filipinos believe that human activities and natural causes brought about climate change. Nearly half of the Filipinos also acknowledge that extreme disasters experienced by the country were due to climate change. As Filipinos believe climate change intensifies disasters, they claim they need to do something to prepare for such. In the same report, Filipinos believe that climate change results in health issues, reduction of income, low harvests due to damaged crops, decreased quality of infrastructure, and other deteriorating effects. The same study argued that climate change also affects economic activities, which will result in decreased economic growth and low standards of living, as people's income and livelihood, particularly in the agricultural sector, will be affected. In a study by Leiserowitz et al. (2022), 83% of Filipinos see climate change as a critical issue to address.

Source:
Conca (2019)

Leiserowitz, Carman, Buttermore, Neyens, et al. (2022)

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That depends on where you live.

A recent global survey on the thoughts and feelings of humans, concerning climate change and its effects, was recently released by YouGov, a global public opinion and data company, that has made a science of global online surveying.

This particular study is compiled from the answers of 30,000 people in 28 countries and demonstrates significant differences in attitudes between East and West (see series of tabular figures below), including:

- Almost 90% of the world believes climate change is real

- 71% of people in India think that human activity is the main reason that the climate is changing

- People in Eastern and Middle Eastern countries are much more likely than those in the West to think that climate change is important

- 38% of Americans think that the climate is changing mainly as a result of human activity, 37% think that the climate is changing partly as a result of human activity, while 9% think the climate is changing but not due to human activity, and only 6% say the climate is not changing at all

- 75% of those from the Philippines say that climate change will significantly impact their life versus just 24% of those in the United States

- Scandinavian countries don't seem to care very much, which is interesting since they have such a cold climate that global warming will turn theirs into temperate zone climates by the end of this century

- Most people of the world feel that we are still able to avoid the worst effects of climate change although it would need drastic changes soon in how we tackle it

- Most people of the world feel that climate change is likely to destroy the world's economy, flood cities, cause mass migrations and even cause regional wars. More than half of the world also feels that climate change will cause a new world war, although Europe and the United States think that is less likely.

These results are important politically. Young people are more likely to take climate change seriously. And 42% of the world's population is under the age of 25. 26% is under the age of 15.

Young people in the United States voted in record numbers the 2018 election - about 31% of people aged 18 to 29 - a significant increase from 21% in 2014 and the highest level since 1992.

Nationally, voters aged 18 to 39 have nearly tripled their early voting rate since 2014. That's increased their share of the early vote by more than three percentage points.

The early voting share of voters aged 50 to 64, meanwhile, has fallen by more than 2.5 percentage points. The share of those 65 and older has fallen nearly five points.

In the wake of last year's Fourth National Climate Assessment released by the Trump Administration, how this burgeoning voter block views environmental and climate issues will become more and more important as the next decade plays out.

The Assessment outlined how the dire effects of global warming are already here and pose a profound threat to Americans' well-being, especially to this age group and those even younger.

So, if most people on Earth think that climate change is happening, that humanity is the main culprit, that climate change will dramatically impact their lives, and that we are still able to avoid the worst effects of climate change by acting quickly, then why are global carbon emissions still climbing?

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How Does Everyone Feel About Climate Change?

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Countries in Europe and the U.S. agree climate change is happening, but don't really believe it will dramatically impact their lives. The rest of the world feels the opposite, especially in the East and Middle East. Of course, these latter countries are the least able to deal with those changes.

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History of Plastic Waste Management in the Philippines

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History of Plastic Waste Management in the Philippines

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History of the Challenge

The Philippines, like other developing countries, experienced an explosion in plastic waste in the 1970s, when consumer goods companies began selling products in single-use, throwaway packaging. The Republic Act 9003: Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 was supposed to be the critical legislation for the collection, disposal, transport, storage, and treatment of solid wastes in the Philippines. This law was implemented around 20 years ago and ordered dumpsites to be prohibited and converted into sanitary landfills by 2006. However, there were still 403 open dumpsites and 108 controlled dumpsites in operation by 2016. Furthermore, many dumpsites can be found near waterways, rivers, and coasts. These dumpsites have little to no infrastructure to control waste and leachate leakage into nearby water bodies. Due to under-resourced and under-funded local government units, as well as a lack of space in congested cities, there is also a scarcity of waste disposal facilities, material recovery facilities, recycling plants, and sanitary landfills (Enviliance Asia, 2022).

Source: Enviliance Asia (2022)

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Engr. Albert E. Lamberte, PhD

Environmental Economist
De La Salle University

Email: albert.lamberte@dlsu.edu.ph

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Coca-Cola signs MOA with City of Manila for plastic bottle collection and recycling

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Metro Manila Solid Waste Management LGU Arm

Metro Manila Development Authority

Youth for Environment in Schools Organization Manila

The Public (Household level survey)

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Department of Environment and Natural Resources

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Department of Environment and Natural Resources

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Department of Environment and Natural Resources

Environmental Management Bureau

Solid Waste Management Division

Juvinia P. Serafin, MDM

OIC Chief, SWMD

Tel: (02) 8539-4378 local. 124 or 125

Email: swmdco@emb.gov.ph

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Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) more often use plastic for item production and packaging. The environmental group GAIA studied non-recyclable waste collected in Philippine cleanups and found that 60% came from just ten companies, led by Nestle, Unilever, and Procter & Gamble (P&G). Nestle declined to disclose the volume of sachets it produced or sold in the Philippines. Environmentalists blame multinational corporations that produce plastic packaging rather than governments or consumers.

“We collect mostly plastics here, and the number one type are sachets,” said Gualva, one of 17 people hired by the environment agency to help preserve the island and its forest. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) calls them “Mangrove Warriors” and pays them slightly above $8 daily.

“They have the funds to conduct research that will remove the problematic packaging,” said Sonia Mendoza, executive director of the Mother Earth Foundation, which promotes waste reduction. She suggested that refilling stations could be one way to reduce the use of single-use sachets (Lema, 2019).

The Philippines’ solid waste law is poorly enforced, and the country does not regulate packaging manufacturing. According to a 2015 study by the University of Georgia, the country ranks third in the world for failing to deal with its plastics, with 81 percent of the country's plastic waste mismanaged.

Source:

Lema (2019)

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MANILA (Reuters) - Armed with gloves, rubber boots and a rake, "Mangrove Warrior" Willer Gualva, 68, comes to Freedom Island in the Philippines almost every day to stop it being engulfed by trash.

No one lives on the island, yet each morning its shores are covered in garbage, much of it single-use sachets of shampoo, toothpaste, detergent and coffee that are carried out to sea by the rivers of overcrowded Manila.

"We collect mostly plastics here and the number one type are sachets," said Gualva, one of 17 people employed by the environment agency to help preserve the island and its forest. The agency, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), calls them "Mangrove Warriors", and pays them slightly above $8 per day.

Five days of coastal cleanup on the Manila Bay island last month yielded a total of 16,000 kg of trash, DENR data showed, the bulk of it plastics, including the sachets made of aluminum and blends of plastics.

These packets give some of the poorest people in Asia access to everyday household essentials. For the multinationals that manufacture them, it's a way to increase sales by targeting customers who cannot afford bigger quantities.

Such sachets are sold in most developing countries but the number consumed in the Philippines is staggering - 163 million pieces a day, according to a recent study by environment group The Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA).

That's almost 60 billion sachets a year, or enough to cover 130,000 soccer fields.

In Manila's slum areas which are inaccessible to garbage trucks, sachets and other waste are thrown in estuaries or dumped on the street, and end up clogging drains and waterways.

"Money is hard to come by, so I only buy sachets," said Lisa Jorillo, 42, a mother of four who lives in a slum in Manila's Tondo area, behind a beach blanketed by trash.

"It's likely the garbage will still be there when my son grows up," Jorillo said, referring to her four-year-old.

The Philippines' law on solid waste is poorly enforced and the country doesn't regulate packaging manufacturing. The country is ranked third in the world for failing to deal with its plastics, according to a 2015 study by the University of Georgia, which said 81 percent of plastics waste in the country was mismanaged.

GRAPHIC: When plastic is not fantastic -

SACHETS FOR THE POOR

About 14 million people live in Metro Manila, one of Asia's teeming mega-cities. Overall, the Philippines has a population of 107 million people, and one-fifth of them live below the national poverty line, described by the statistics agency as monthly consumption of less than $241 per person.

Jorillo's family earns about 2,500 pesos ($48) a week from the construction work that her husband does, and she and her family buy about 80 sachets of coffee, toothpaste and shampoo each month.

In sea-facing Manila, much of the trash ends up in the sea. The Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and China account for 60 percent of the world's marine plastic, or 8 million tonnes annually, according to the Ocean Conservancy non-profit.

Environmentalists say the main culprits aren't governments or consumers, but the multinationals that churn out plastic packaging.

"They have money to do research that will remove the problematic packaging," said Sonia Mendoza, head of the Mother Earth Foundation, which promotes waste reduction. She said refilling stations could be one way to reduce the use of single-use sachets.

The environmental group GAIA studied non-recyclable waste collected in Philippine cleanups and found that 60 percent of it came from just 10 companies, led by Nestle , Unilever and Procter & Gamble .

Nestle declined to disclose the volume of sachets it produced or sold in the Philippines.

FIGHTING MALNUTRITION

Nestle said it was committed to finding ways to keep plastics out of oceans through plastic collection and recycling programs, but added that sachets prevented leakage of micro-nutrients essential to addressing malnutrition, especially among children.

Unilever did not say how many sachets it produces in the Philippines, but said its global plastic packaging production is 610,000 tonnes annually.

The figure, Unilever said, includes "flexible packaging formats" used by 1 million micro-businesses in the Philippines. Nestle and Unilever's target is for 100% of their packaging to be recyclable or reusable by 2025 worldwide.

Unilever said it has a community-based sachet recovery program in the Philippines where collected sachets are converted to school chairs and cement pavers. It also pilot ran shampoo and conditioner refilling stations this year, which it plans to scale up.

P&G referred questions to the industry group Philippine Alliance for Recycling and Materials Sustainability (PARMS) or the government's National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC).

The Philippines government does not have a clear strategy to tackle its plastics crisis.

In an e-mail response to Reuters, the DENR said it was in discussions with all manufacturers to identify ways to manage waste. It provided no details.

Elsewhere in the region, Indonesia has a law requiring producers to manage non-biodegradable packaging and the tourist island of Bali bans single-use plastics.

Thailand is between now and 2025 introducing bans on seven types of plastics most commonly found in the ocean, like bottle cap seals, disposable bags, cups and straws.

Vietnam hopes to raise taxes on plastic bags and its prime minister has urged shops to stop using non-recyclable plastics in cities by 2021, and countrywide by 2025.

ECO-BRICKS

The Philippines industry group PARMS, which includes Unilever, P&G and Nestle among its members, is building a 25 million pesos ($475,000) facility that aims to turn sachets into plastic blocks and eco-bricks.

But Von Hernandez, global coordinator for the Break Free From Plastic movement, calls that "greenwashing" - or only trying to appear more environmentally friendly.

"They are not really changing the true nature of their business," Hernandez said of the multinationals. "The plastics industry is slated to grow exponentially, especially by 2030. The bulk of that is going to packaging and you can bet this is going to end up in sachets."

Crispian Lao, president of PARMS, said every effort, even those which "may be perceived as small and insignificant", helps address the problem.

Lao said sachets were a necessity for lower income groups, but added the industry is exploring other delivery formats and packaging alternatives.

Cynthia Villar, a senator, says she is pushing for a radical re-write of an existing waste law to force firms to collect, recycle and dispose of all single-use plastics they produce.

"They always say they're willing to do it. But it's a different story altogether whether they'll do it, so we have to embody it in a law so they'll all follow," Villar told Reuters.

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plastic containers & packaging (trbc level 5)

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disposal & recycling services (trbc level 5)

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Slave to sachets: How poverty worsens the plastics crisis in the Philippines

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MANILA (Reuters) - Armed with gloves, rubber boots and a rake, "Mangrove Warrior" Willer Gualva, 68, comes to Freedom Island in the Philippines almost every day to stop it being engulfed by trash.

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There are several challenges that contribute to the failure of the plastics recycling market:

Due to high logistics costs, recyclers are unable to source feedstock across the archipelago.

High electricity costs (38-67% higher than regional counterparts) disproportionately affect recyclers who use inefficient equipment.

The market for formal recyclers is distorted by intense competition from the informal recycling industry.

Significant material value is locked up in low-value, difficult-to-recycle flexible packaging, which accounts for more than half of all plastic packaging used.

Local governments are discouraged from investing in waste management solutions because landfill tipping fees are low.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which dominate the domestic recycling market, are unable to meet the demands of multinational buyers.

Source: World Bank (2022)

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What's Not Working - The Philippines’ Current Setup

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What's Not Working - The Philippines’ Current Setup

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Lack of Waste Disposal Infrastructures: Even though plastic items are recycled, uncollected garbage is burned or dumped anywhere in open areas, known as open dumps, contributing to the country's now polluted airshed, water bodies, and global warming. This is because only 21% or 8,843 barangays are provided with the waste transfer station and composting and recycling facilities through the establishment of Municipal Recovery Facilities (MRF) (Castillo & Otoma, 2013).

Distinct and Poor Documentation of Municipal Policies: Each city has their own rules and regulations about plastic usage. Most but not all Metro Manila cities have enforced ordinances to control plastic bags and other single-use plastics. However, there is no consolidation in these policies. Three Metro Manila cities, Manila, Taguig, and Pateros, have poorly and ambiguously documented single-use plastics regulations that could not be verified.

No National Policy: Despite multiple attempts by legislators and activist groups, no national policy strategy has been implemented to handle plastic pollution as of 2021.

Source:

Castillo & Otoma (2013)

United Nations Environment Programme (2021)

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Other Impacts of Plastic Wastes on the Philippine Environment

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Other Impacts of Plastic Wastes on the Philippine Environment

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Plastic pollution had other influential impacts on the Philippine environment. Waste runoff quickly blocks waterways and drainage systems, threatening household livelihoods and sanitation, especially during heavy rains (Braganza, 2017). Boracay, a famous tourist island in the Philippines known for its spotless beaches and water activities, was closed in 2018 for six months to permit rehabilitation from high pollution levels (SEA Circular, 2020). According to government projections, the closure cost the government 18-20 billion Philippine pesos ($360-400 million USD) in potential gross revenue (Iglesias et al., 2018). In terms of employment, the closure is reckoned to have cost 36,000 jobs (Domingo, 2018).

Source: Schachter & Karasik (2022)

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Republic Act 11898: The Extended Producer Responsibility Act (EPRA) of 2022

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Republic Act 11898: The Extended Producer Responsibility Act (EPRA) of 2022

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The Extended Producer Responsibility Act (EPRA) of 2022 amends Republic Act No. 9003, also known as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, to establish extended producer responsibility for plastic packaging waste. The EPRA took effect on July 23, 2022. Large enterprises must adopt and implement policies to properly manage plastic packaging waste. It was drafted in response to industry pressure to regulate single-use plastics and their production, importation, and disposal. RA 11898 involves incentives to firms through tax reductions had they faithfully complied with the policy.

Source:

Senate of the Philippines (2022)

PwC (2022)

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Most recyclers find it challenging to profit from recycling plastic (this might be why less than 5% of all U.S. recycling is plastic), but some money can still be made. Recyclers take plastic items, such as bottles, containers, and packaging, to turn them into everyday products.

Recycling facilities that cost millions of dollars to construct and operate can only be profitable when a massive amount of plastic is treated daily. Therefore, small portions of plastics can make recycling non-economical and non-beneficial due to low efficiencies and high costs.

Source:

Miller (2022)

Plastics For Change (2021)

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For Japan, they have to crush bottles of drinks, so the incentives there is a punishment for the consumers. They have specific trash for specific units for the people to dispose of because they know there is a penalty properly. It is probably not giving the best way for the consumers but has some sort of disincentive for improper disposal.

In the Philippines, there is no strict enforcement. To create incentives on the consumer side, you have to create penalties for them rather than give them money. It does not mean fear but to give consciousness to the environment.

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The Philippines is combating illegally imported plastic waste from developed countries. In 2019, the Canada waste dumping incident in the Philippines was a stark example of the injustice inherent in international waste trade. Countries in the Global North, such as those in Europe and North America, ship their waste to countries in the Global South that are ill-equipped to handle domestic waste, despite having the resources to invest in cutting-edge recycling and waste recovery facilities.

Source:

Endo (2019)

Greenpeace (2020)

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Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies

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Plastic Waste as a Factor of Climate Change

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Plastic Waste as a Factor of Climate Change

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Castillo and Otoma (2013) state that climate change is due to industrialization, urbanization, and population growth. Industrialization took place because of the expansion of the manufacturing sector, which increased waste. Plastic wastes contribute to environmental pollution, which releases greenhouse gas emissions that trigger the rise of climate change levels. Plastic waste has been a major issue for over a century since the first fully synthetic plastic was introduced. 8-12 million tons of it annually enter the world's oceans that kills marine life, accumulates in massive garbage patches, and crumbles into microplastics that resurface in drinking water. These instances manifest in murky urban flooding in certain areas due to poor environmental and solid waste practices (MIT Climate, 2022).

Source:
Castillo & Otoma (2013)

MIT Climate (2022)

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Projected Plastic Waste Management in the Philippines

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Projected Plastic Waste Management in the Philippines

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Future of the Challenge

Plastic pollution continuance will further pose a threat to the local Philippine economies, which rely on fishing, shipping, and tourism. This pollution significantly reduces overall biodiversity, impedes shipping equipment, and deforms beaches and rivers. Other potential adverse effects include:

According to a document by the Philippines Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR), the Philippines will lose as much as 13.6% of its annual GDP by 2040 if it neglects plastic pollution and other climate change risks.

Some scientific studies claim that the cost of inaction today will be more expensive soon if prolonged.

42% of coastal populations and 14% of the total population are expected to be impacted by storm surges.

The country will be more vulnerable to flooding and landfills because of clogged drainage systems blocked by plastic waste.

A study by the World Resources Institute assumes that about 1 million hectares of grasslands in the Philippines are vulnerable to climate change, 98% of the coral reefs will be gone by 2050, and that water scarcity will worsen by 2040.

Source:
World Bank (2022)
Sung (2022)

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"One thing why we are using so much plastic is because of the way we consume goods. Ex. My helper will ask me for a Bear Brand sachet whenever she goes to the grocery store. I asked her, “Why sachet? Why not the one in a can?” So for me, you can buy the can - it is the same - then use it for other purposes after usage. For Filipinos, sachets are much more affordable and usable on a daily basis. For her, the size of the sachet is what she can consume today. This is why people use sachets, as it is more affordable for Filipinos. For other countries, like Americans, they consume things for the long term."

"Segregating trash to reduce plastics is just not effective alone. It is hard. When it comes to our garbage disposals, the way garbage is collected is by segregating plastics, cans, and papers. The problem is the one who collects it will still combine all the garbage, so there is already no incentive for us to really segregate appropriately because of the way it is collected. So even if they collect incentives, it is hard. Because at the end of the day, it is collected aggregately.
It is not the firms that should be doing it because of the added cost of enforcement. It should be the government, but it is also an added cost for them."

"Initiating firms to give incentives is hard because the fact that there will be an added cost for the private sectors would make them think twice. They wouldn’t really say no, but of course it depends on their corporate decisions. It is also hard to say that they will participate. As firms, they want to maximize profits. Some private firms may agree if their main objective is to help the environment. There are firms who will also say no because it is an added cost for them, especially if it is not part of their objectives. For example, P&G and Unilever create plastics for their products. Their reputation for making plastic products can be deferred so they can introduce more environmentally friendly ways of using their products."

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Green Antz

1535 General Alejo G. Santos Hwy
Plaridel, Bulacan 3004

+63 44 761-8085

Email: customerservice@greenantz.com

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Plastic Ban and Regulations in the Cities of Metro Manila

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Plastic Ban and Regulations in the Cities of Metro Manila

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Despite numerous attempts by legislators and activist groups, there is no explicit national policy approach to addressing plastic pollution as of 2021. However, several Philippine cities have released ordinances to manage plastic bags and other single-use plastics within their jurisdiction. While it is clear that many of the Philippines’ major cities and municipalities have implemented regulations to reduce single-use plastic use and misuse, the establishments and plastic types targeted and the enforcement mechanisms vary greatly.

10 out of the 18 cities in Metro Manila were able to obtain plastic bag regulations:

1. Makati City: Ordinance No. 03-095 (2003) - Articulates proper disposal and collection methods for city residents and businesses

2. Muntinlupa City: Ordinance 10-109 (2010) - Metro Manila’s first city to ban the use of plastic bags.

3. Pasig City: Ordinance No. 9, s.2010 - Prohibits the use of any plastic on dry goods and only variously regulates the plastic usage on wet goods.

4. Las Piñas City: Ordinance No. 1036, s.2011 - Bans individual and business dissemination of thin-film, single-use plastic carry-out bags and polystyrene foams

5. Quezon City: Ordinance No. SP 2103 s.2011 - Requires enterprises that use plastic bags to display the context “Save the environment, bring your own recyclable/reusable bags” in order to encourage the use of non-single-use plastic bags when shopping.

6. Quezon City: Ordinance No. SP 2127 s.2012 - Disallows the use of plastic, Styrofoam, and other nonbiodegradable packaging in government firms.

7. Quezon City: Ordinance No. SP 2140 s.2012 - Forbids the plastic bag distribution with a thickness of less than 15 microns

8. Quezon City: Ordinance No. SP 2876 - Discourages the distribution and use of single-use plastics.

9. Marikina City: Ordinance No. 18, s.2012 - Restricts the consumption of plastic bags and Styrofoam in the primary packaging of dry goods

10. Caloocan City: Plastic and Polystyrene Regulation Ordinance of 2013 - Bans the sale, availability, and use of nonbiodegradable secondary packaging materials, such as polystyrene and plastic bags

11. Mandaluyong City: Ordinance No. 523, s.2013 - Plastic bags and Styrofoam in commercial and business establishments are not allowed

12. Pasay City: Resolution No. 4873, s.2019 - Has wholly prohibited the use of plastic carry-out bags

13. Paranaque City: Ordinance No. 40, s.2018 - Outlaw single-use plastic for dry goods and plastic product distribution

Source:

United Nations Environment Programme (2021)

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Increase FMCGs’ Plastic Recycling Engagement

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Increase FMCGs’ Plastic Recycling Engagement

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Nestle Philippines, Inc.

Nestle said it was committed to finding ways to keep plastics out of oceans through plastic collection and recycling programs. However, it added that sachets prevented leakage of micronutrients essential to addressing malnutrition, especially among children.

Unilever Philippines, Inc.

Unilever said it has a community-based sachet recovery program in the Philippines where collected sachets are converted to school chairs and cement pavers. It also pilot-ran shampoo and conditioner refilling stations this year, which it plans to scale up.

Procter and Gamble Philippines, Inc. (P&G)

P&G referred questions to the industry group Philippine Alliance for Recycling and Materials Sustainability (PARMS) or the government’s National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC).

Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines, Inc. (CCBPI)

The bottling arm of Coca-Cola in the country has signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the City of Manila to gather and recycle PET bottles in the metro. Under the MOA, clear PET plastic bottles—regardless of brand or manufacturer—deposited in contour bottle bins will be collected by Manila’s Department of Public Services and hauled by CCBPI to its PETValue recycling facility located in Gen. Trias, Cavite. This is the first project series lined up for the City of Manila.

Source:

Philstar (2021)

Lema (2019)

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RA 11898: Not an effective, long-term policy

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RA 11898: Not an effective, long-term policy

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Republic Act 11898 or The Extended Producer Responsibility on Plastic Packaging Waste

Anything that will add cost to the firm won’t be attractive because they couldn’t maximize the revenue. It means that the added cost can be passed on to the consumers (ex., Sachets by increasing the price).

In the Philippines, they’ve only considered reducing plastic production by creating a specific tax. In microeconomics, creating a tax will increase the price of what consumers have to buy but lessen the quantity. There is a deadweight loss. The area of the tax will be going to the government, but it should be able to use those taxes to create financial health. It can not only be through tax but can also be incentives in support to the firms to create better products for more prolonged use or multiple uses.

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The Philippines is the third-largest contributor to global plastic waste, contributing about 0.75 million metric tons of ocean plastic yearly. Known as the “sachet economy,” the country is recognized for its impetuous trash haulers and open dump sites that drive the plastic to spill into the rivers. The Philippines is one of the Southeast Asian countries accepting illicit plastic waste imports from developed countries. According to Ronnie Cafe, one of the garbage collectors, most plastic garbage is non-recyclable and non-reusable and mostly single-use sachets of shampoo, vinegar, soy sauce, or other consumables. “Most of the waste piling up here comes from the households living along the riverbanks,” Cafe said. “They lacked discipline for wantonly dumping their garbage at the river.”

Source:
Guevarra (2019)
Sarmiento (2018)

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Why does so much plastic waste end up in Asia? | DW News

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The Plastic Flamingo

Block 6 Build 2 National Road
1 Tepaural Compound, Putatan
Muntinlupa City

09451557825

Email: hello@theplaf.com, francois@theplaf.com

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Engr. Albert E. Lamberte, PhD

Environmental Economist
De La Salle University

Email: albert.lamberte@dlsu.edu.ph

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MK Slider Philippines Corporation
Block 5B Lot 8

Dasma Technopark

09171032318
Email: raquel.relleve@mksliderphilippines.com