Plastic Pollution Crisis In The Philippines

The Philippines is facing a severe plastic pollution crisis, with plastic waste piling up on land and in the country's waterways. The Philippines' diverse marine biodiversity, including an extensive system of coral reefs, is under threat. The country's high dependence on single-use plastics and sachets, coupled with insufficient waste management infrastructure and a lack of disposal facilities, has led to alarming levels of plastic pollution, with an estimated 20% of the 2.7 million tons of annual plastic waste ending up in the ocean.

Poverty drives the 'sachet economy'

The Philippines has a unique culture of consuming products in small quantities. For instance, instead of buying a regular bottle of shampoo, many people opt for sachets sold at local stores at a much lower price. With a reported 20 million people living below the poverty line in 2021, the country’s widespread poverty leaves citizens hunting for the cheapest alternative. Large corporations exploit this situation by offering palm-sized packages of products, thereby building a "sachet economy" and exacerbating plastic pollution in the country.

The sachet economy is a catch-all term for the trade of micro-quantities of fast-moving consumer goods. Sachets are small packages of shampoo, soap, toothpaste, deodorant, crackers, snacks, coffee, tea, seasoning, and pain relievers, among others. In the Philippines, the sachet economy is represented by the numerous sari-sari stores found across the country. These family-run stores are largely unregulated, resembling homegrown versions of 7-Eleven branding, franchising, or refrigeration.

The emergence of the sachet economy in the Philippines and other countries like Nigeria can be attributed to poverty and low purchasing power. With a significant portion of the population living in poverty, businesses must sell essential products at extremely affordable prices to be profitable. In response to declining purchasing power, consumer goods companies have been repackaging products into smaller sizes using sachets. This strategy allows disadvantaged consumers to access goods they need at prices they can afford.

However, the sachet economy has significant environmental implications. The small sachets contribute to plastic pollution, particularly in countries like the Philippines, where there is a lack of proper disposal facilities and government mismanagement. This pollution threatens the country's diverse marine biodiversity, including its extensive system of coral reefs, often referred to as the "rainforest of the sea." While plastic provides safe and quick transportation of food, the focus should also be on increasing access to proper disposal facilities to mitigate the environmental impact of the sachet economy.

Lack of disposal facilities

The Philippines faces a significant challenge in addressing its plastic pollution crisis due to a lack of disposal facilities. This issue is exacerbated by the country's unique geographical characteristics as an archipelagic nation, with food and goods frequently transported between its more than 7,500 islands.

The head of the Philippine Alliance for Recycling and Materials Sustainability (PARMS), Crispian Lao, has highlighted that 70% of Filipinos lack access to disposal facilities, which directly contributes to the high volume of plastic waste entering the oceans. This lack of access to proper waste management options leaves many individuals with no choice but to dispose of their waste improperly, often in water streams that eventually lead to the sea.

The Philippines has a unique culture where many consumers opt for small, low-cost packages of products, such as sachets of shampoo or soap, due to widespread poverty. This "sachet economy" has been encouraged by large corporations and has further exacerbated plastic pollution in the country. However, it is important to note that plastic is currently the most effective material for ensuring the safe transportation of food in the Philippines, especially given the need to transfer goods between islands.

The country faces structural challenges that hinder the development of a robust recycling industry, including high logistics and electricity costs, intense competition from the informal recycling sector, and the dominance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that struggle to meet multinational buyers' requirements. These factors contribute to a significant recycling capacity gap, with the Philippines exporting most of its plastic scrap rather than processing it domestically.

Additionally, the Philippines faces challenges in establishing sanitary landfills due to strict regulations and high costs associated with closing dumpsites. The lack of sanitary landfills further contributes to the improper disposal of waste and exacerbates the plastic pollution crisis.

Government mismanagement

The Philippines is facing a severe plastic pollution crisis, threatening its rich marine biodiversity, including an extensive system of coral reefs, deemed the "rainforest of the sea". The country's high dependence on single-use plastics, driven by widespread poverty and corporate interests, has led to alarming levels of plastic waste, with an estimated 20% of the 2.7 million tons generated annually ending up in the ocean. This waste often clogs waterways and accumulates on land, severely impacting the environment and local communities.

One of the main issues is the lack of proper disposal facilities. Crispian Lao, head of the Philippine Alliance for Recycling and Materials Sustainability (PARMS), states that 70% of Filipinos lack access to disposal facilities, resulting in plastic waste being directly dumped into the oceans. The government's failure to address this critical issue exacerbates the pollution problem.

In addition to inadequate disposal facilities, the Philippines also struggles with insufficient solid waste management infrastructure. Municipal governments often lack the necessary resources to effectively manage waste, leading to mismanagement and improper handling of plastic waste. This is further compounded by the country's geographical challenges as an archipelagic nation, where waste must be transported between islands.

Large corporations exploit the situation by promoting a "`sachet economy," offering palm-sized packages of products at low prices. This exacerbates plastic pollution as these sachets are often not recyclable or properly disposed of. The government's inaction in regulating corporate practices and promoting environmentally friendly alternatives contributes to the mismanagement of the plastic pollution crisis.

To address government mismanagement, experts recommend increasing access to proper disposal facilities and implementing stricter regulations to control plastic production and waste management. By learning from successful initiatives in neighbouring Asian regions, such as Taiwan's Marine Pollution Control Act, the Philippines can transition towards a more sustainable and circular economy, reducing plastic pollution, and preserving its precious marine ecosystems.

Coral reefs threatened

Coral reefs are already susceptible to bleaching and disease due to unusually warm water, either from seasonal shifts in water temperature or from human-caused global warming. However, plastic pollution is also a significant driver of climate change, threatening the future of corals.

The Philippines has been called the world's biggest ocean plastic polluter. In 2019, the country was responsible for 36.38% of global oceanic plastic waste, far more than India, which accounted for 12.92%. The Pasig River in the Philippines has been named the most polluted river in 2017, taking over the Yangtze River in China.

A 2023 study by the University of Oxford found plastic pollution to be almost ubiquitous across coral reefs, with plastic pollution increasing at greater depths. The study also found that plastic pollution in coral reefs was mostly from fishing activities.

A 2018 study found that without the presence of plastic, coral reefs have a 4% likelihood of contracting a disease. However, the likelihood of disease increases from 4% to 89% when corals are in contact with plastic. Another study found that the risk of disease can be up to 22 times greater on a reef polluted by plastic than on a preserved reef. This is because plastic can cause physical injury to coral tissues, promoting infection by bacteria present on plastic debris. In addition, plastic can block sunlight from reaching coral and prevent them from capturing prey.

To reduce the pressure on coral reefs, it is important to reduce plastic consumption, recycle plastic properly, and ensure that waste does not end up in the environment.

Marine biodiversity at risk

Marine biodiversity in the Philippines is at risk due to the country's severe plastic pollution problem. The Philippines is known for its diverse marine life, with an extensive system of coral reefs that span over 27,000 square kilometres. These coral reefs, often dubbed the "rainforest of the sea", are essential for the ocean's ecosystem, providing shelter, food, and reproductive support for 25% of the ocean's fish. However, plastic pollution poses a significant threat to these fragile ecosystems.

The Philippines faces alarming levels of marine plastic pollution, with an estimated 2.7 million tons of plastic waste generated annually, and approximately 20% of it ending up in the ocean. This waste comes from a variety of sources, including single-use packaging, sachets, pouches, and plastic bottles. The country's unique geography, comprising over 7,500 islands, makes the management of plastic waste particularly challenging. The lack of proper disposal facilities and the government's mismanagement of waste are significant contributors to the problem.

One of the main issues is the country's "sachet economy". With a significant portion of the population living below the poverty line, people often opt for cheaper, small-quantity products packaged in sachets. Large corporations exploit this situation by offering palm-sized packages, further exacerbating plastic pollution. Additionally, the Philippines' plastics industry is vital to the national economy, providing low-cost consumer goods to poor and middle-income families. However, this has led to a high dependence on single-use plastics, worsening the plastic pollution crisis.

The lack of access to disposal facilities is another critical factor. It is estimated that 70% of Filipinos lack access to proper waste disposal methods, leading to plastic waste being directly dumped into the oceans. The government's failure to address this issue, despite the implementation of the Waste Management Act in 2001, has resulted in a steady increase in waste generation over the years. The country's marine biodiversity is suffering as a consequence, with coral reefs facing an increased risk of disease and the spread of pathogens due to plastic pollution.

To protect its marine biodiversity, the Philippines needs to address the plastic pollution crisis urgently. This includes improving waste management infrastructure, promoting recycling initiatives, and transitioning towards a circular economy. By learning from neighbouring countries like Taiwan, which has successfully reduced its contribution to global oceanic plastic waste, the Philippines can develop effective strategies to combat this environmental threat and safeguard its precious marine ecosystems.

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