Allana, Christian D.

July 13, 2018

20131122071 Prof. Go-Monilla

PH Improper Waste Disposal

“Plastic Pollution”

I. Identification of the Problem:

In the last decade, plastic has affected the health and life of human beings very badly.

Some incidents have attracted the attention of the whole world and put a question mark about the

use of plastic in daily life.

Improper waste disposal creates a hazardous problem to everyone. It may infect people

not only physically but through the air and water. Garbage thrown in the rivers and canals may

not only block our waterways but it invites rodents to infect the water and soon be transferred to

humans. Clogged waterways have a tendency to spill causing flash floods, which is what is

happening here in our country. Likewise, the lack of enough dumpsites and landfills is also a

hindrance in helping to solve our garbage management crisis.

Philippines, as the third worst plastic polluter in the oceans (Greenpeace, 2018), creates a

large amount of waste material every year. In addition, Western consumer giants are polluting

oceans by selling products packaged in cheap, disposable plastic to Filipinos, Greenpeace has

claimed naming Nestle, Unilever and Procter & Gamble among the worst offenders. The

environmental group ranked the Philippines as the “third-worst polluter into the world’s oceans”

after China and Indonesia in a report released Friday in Manila. More than 54,200 pieces of
plastic waste were recovered from the bay in total, including some 9,000 from Nestle products

the most frequently-seen brand, according to a tally kept by the group (Greenpeace, 2018).

II. Data Gathering:

In the northern Philippines, in the province of Pampanga, the small city of San Fernando
is leading a revolution-in trash.

Source: AfriramPOE/Shutterstock

Figure 2.1: Improper Waste Disposal in San Fernando

Our oceans are swimming in millions of tons of plastic trash. It’s a nasty soup of water bottles,

Styrofoam cups, cigarette butts and tiny plastic fibers washed out of clothes.
 Source: UNenvironment, 2018

Figure 2.2: Different kinds of Plastic Waste

Bits of floating debris look like food to some animals. Fish, seabirds and sea turtles can sicken or

die if they eat too much of it, or if a sharp piece slices up their insides. Some plastics also leach

toxins, which end up in the meat of fish and shellfish. These chemicals are passed from prey to

predators up the food chain, and can eventually wind up in the fish fillet on your dinner plate.

Today, it’s estimated that most of the world’s marine plastic trash comes from East and

Southeast Asia. As much as 60 percent could come from just five countries: China, Indonesia,

Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Likewise, in recent news, whereas the Philippines is known for having beautiful beaches

and superlative snorkeling. But these days, the popular island of Boracay can boast neither. Its

once-crystal-clear waters have been tainted by sewage and garbage, and in order to clean up what

President Rodrigo Duterte has called a “cesspool,” the government announced on April 26, 2018

that it would close the island for 6 months (Global Citizen, 2018). Over the past few decades,
Boracay has become a major tourist hotspot, leading to the rapid and unregulated development of

the island’s tourism industry. With that development came a massive environmental problem.

Source:Nito, 2018

Figure 2.3: Boracay Island

III. Analyzing the Data:

One survey found that around 85% of residential and business properties on Boracay did

not have proper, authorized sewage facilities and were pumping waste into the sea, CNN

reported. And though the island produces 90 to 115 tonnes of trash daily, its infrastructure can

only handle and remove 30 tonnes a day, according to (Mashable).

On the other hand, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has

urged the public to be more responsible in managing garbage since waste, particularly plastic,

can be devastating for marine biodiversity. Moreover, Filipino people must know that plastics

are non-biodegradable materials, which do not decay. Once discarded, plastics are likely to end

up in oceans after being washed down from rivers and toilets or blown by wind from dumpsites.
 The Greenpeace Philippines and #breakfreefromplastic movement audit, the first of its

kind in the country, revealed that Nestlé, Unilever, and Indonesian company PT Torabika

Mayora are the top three contributors of plastic waste discovered in the area, contributing to the

1.88 million metric tonnes of mismanaged plastic wastes in the Philippines per year (Jambeck,

Jenna R., 2017). During the clean-up, Greenpeace volunteers and coalition partners from the

#breakfreefromplastic movement, found items ranging from styrofoam to footwear, along with

single-use plastics such as bags, plastic bottle labels, and straws. A total of 54,260 pieces of

plastic waste were collected during the audit, with most products being sachets

(Breakfreefromplastic.org, 2017).

IV. Verification:

In order to minimize the improper waste disposal herein the Philippines, many of Filipino

people said that there are lot of possible solutions to stop and lower down the plastic pollution.

Firstly, according to environmentalists, the “waste to energy incineration” would be helpful, but

this is not the solution as of today country’s garbage crisis. The “waste to energy incineration”

emits a wide range of toxic and hazardous air pollutants. These include heavy metals and

nanoparticles as well as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as dioxins and furans.

Secondly, having mention that there are lot of possibilities to minimize it, the “wean

yourself off disposal plastics” can be helpful. Ninety percent of the plastic items in our daily

lives are used once and then chucked: grocery bags, plastic wrap, disposable cutlery, straws,

coffee-cup lids. Take note of how often you rely on these products and replace them with

reusable versions. It only takes a few times of bringing your own bags to the store, silverware to
the office, or travel mug to Starbucks before it becomes habit. Thirdly, “Stop buying water”

could absolutely help us. The fact that Filipino people are usually used mineral plastic bottles,

and each year, close to 20 billion plastic bottles are tossed in the trash. If you’re nervous about

the quality of your local tap water, look for a model with a built-in filter.

Lastly, proper disposal and segregation of plastic materials can be more helpful. The

more waste in the Philippines causes the increase in global warming, high temperature and less

oxygen because of air pollution. It is very important on how you carry out improper waste

disposal. Garbage segregation, I think the most helpful solution, dividing garbage into “reduce”,

“reuse” and “recycle materials.