A solution to the global plastic problem is to push for extended producer responsibility, which places the accountability back to manufacturers which sell products wrapped in single-use plastics.

Responsible manufacturers should experiment with and eventually shift to alternative biodegradable packaging, such as wrappers made from cassava, seaweed, even banana leaves.

Project ASEANO's Food Service Industry (FSI) study highlights proven initiatives to reduce the reliance of both manufacturers and their customers on disposable plastics. Below are just some of the many solutions that manufacturers and FSI players can start:

(1)    Eliminating the provision of single-use plastic straws and stirrers.

(2)    Incentivizing customers to bring refillable containers, as in the case of water refilling stations.

(3)    Asking customers if they truly prefer single-use utensils for their take-out meals.

(4)    Replacing plastic components with recyclable or biodegradable materials like edible straws.

(5)    Making typical single-use products reusable, like durable ice cream tubs, oil cans and milk tea cups.

(6)    Upcycling garbage like used tarpaulins into other products, including bags ang vehicle covers.

(7)    Chemically melting and recycling plastics to avoid adding waste to landfills or incineration facilities.

(8)    In-house waste segregation and garbage sorting. 

(9)    Institutional commitments to long-term sustainability.

 (10)  Supporting research and development initiatives to address plastic waste management.

Project ASEANO's FSI report can be freely downloaded along with other studies on plastic waste reduction in our PUBLICATIONS section.

The Imus River originates from the cool highlands of Tagaytay, Silang and Amadeo at a height of 655 meters above sea level before flowing out to the ocean. It is one of six major river systems that pass through the province of Cavite.

Upland portions are still relatively healthy and well-vegetated, with clear, flowing waters inhabited by introduced guppies (Poecilia reticulata), native talangka or river crabs (Varuna litterata), molluscs and a host of other aquatic denizens.

Project ASEANO found the waters of the Imus River to sit well within DENR Class-C standards, confirming its use for fisheries, recreational and agricultural use.

However, the values of phosphates and total suspended solids exceed critical limits, meaning upland pollution must still be curbed.

Here is a close-up of some guppies swimming in the uplands of Silang. Though they are not native to the Philippines (guppies hail from the rivers of South America), the tiny, colorful fish nonetheless eat mosquito larvae, minimizing the spread of malaria and other vector-borne human diseases.

Avoiding single-use plastics altogether is one of the main solutions to curb the global plastic problem. 

"Homeowners and residents can refuse (single-use) plastics. There are a lot of things that we can buy without needing to accept plastic packaging," shares Dr. Edwin Lineses, a professor from Cavite. 

Homeowners can for instance bring their own tote bags and resealable plastic containers when buying meat or produce at the market.

These habits can further be incentivized by providing residents with a small discount for bringing their own containers.

Shoppers can use resealable hard plastic containers like the ones shown above when buying meat and produce. Retailers and institutions should in turn offer monetary or social incentives to customers who bring their own containers and tote bags. (Unsplash)

To do your part in reducing waste, please remember to bring your own bags and containers when shopping. Little acts of sustainability can eventually turn the tide against plastic.

“I was still in school when I started pawing through old lots, dumps and river banks in a never-ending search for bakal, bote, plastik at dyaryo (scrap metal, bottles, plastic and newspapers). I used a big old sack that weighed so much,” recalls Sherwin Salazar, a basurero or waste picker from Cavite.

Sherwin is now a master of the trade, having been a picker for over 25 years.

“Most Filipinos think pangangalakal is nothing more than a dirty job, but it’s far better than working in other jobs like construction. You become your own boss and control your time so if you put in the hours and effort, you can make a surprising amount of money."

"I’m not ashamed to be called a mangangalakal or basurero. I’m proud of it, because I was able to provide honorably for my family, while putting my children through school. The life of a waste picker is definitely dirty, but if you meet life’s challenges head-on and ask for a little help from above, then it’s really rewarding.”

All sectors are important: the country’s ingenious waste pickers, recyclers and junkshops play a key role in combatting waste.

Supporting waste pickers and recycling facilities converts a significant portion of waste which would otherwise be dumped in landfills or in our rivers and seas, into useful products.

These cottage industries also support the lives and livelihoods of thousands of Filipinos.

“Trash is cash,” explains Arles Gozar, who runs a junkshop in Cavite. “I employ anywhere from nine to 15 people part-time to help pick and pack garbage that waste pickers or mangangalakal bring here.”

Most valuable of all is tanso or copper, sold at PHP355 per kilogramme (KG), followed by sibak or hard plastic (PHP15/KG), bakal or scrap metal (PHP14/KG), yero or corrugated iron sheets (PHP11/KG), bote or plastic bottles (PHP10/KG), lata or tin cans (PHP8/KG) and karton or cardboard (PHP4/KG).

“Many people in this area don’t have jobs. By employing people even part-time, my tiny junkshop helps provide for them and their families. The garbage of others provides a good life for our family – I can even help my relatives from the province when they’re down and out, because we have a little extra.”

Junkshops like Arles’ provide a vital solution in the world’s quest to minimize waste – by recycling, upcycling or otherwise making use of items which would otherwise be bound for landfills and dumpsites, trash is reduced. Less trash means less garbage flowing down rivers whenever a dumpsite floods.

“We’re of course business owners first," concludes Arles. "But in our own small way, we’re doing what we can to help keep our country clean." 

This community-led eco garden in Cavite reuses old vehicle tires, plastic bottles, wrappers and other materials while generating useful income by selling native seedlings. Recycling and upcycling extends the utility of items which would otherwise go to waste. (PRF) 

Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs), recycling centers and junkshops are part of a concept called a circular economy, where as many items as can be reused again are converted to other usable products, greatly extending their lifespan before finally becoming waste.

“To decisively address plastic waste management, we need to include waste pickers and recyclers as major stakeholders,” adds PEMSEA executive director Aimee Gonzales.

River systems often act as conveyor belts for garbage. Most large rivers and streams cut through densely-populated human communities which generate a lot of trash.

According to the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), the province of Cavite generated an average of 1514 tons of waste daily in 2018.

The Imus River traverses the highest waste-generating cities of Cavite: Bacoor, Dasmariñas and Imus. Tonnes of garbage emanate from these areas to flow out to Manila Bay.

The river's central segment traverses through parts of Imus, Silang, Dasmariñas and Bacoor, shown here.

Project ASEANO is a repository for integrated plastic waste solutions, particularly for riverside communities.

“Project ASEANO can be a guide for other hubs to improve their existing policies and ordinances on how to combat growing plastic pollution in rivers,” says Cavite PGENRO Anabelle Cayabyab. “The project’s studies can help various sectors enhance their sense of social responsibility and become partners in addressing plastic pollution in other major rivers and tributaries.”

PEMSEA's Project ASEANO team is always looking for opportunities to collaborate. Please feel free to contact ASEANO Project Manager Thomas Bell at TBell@pemsea.org or PEMSEA at info@pemsea.org.

River and coastal cleanups are popular community-wide affairs to manually remove non-biodegradable wastes from Philippine riverways and shores.

Cavite's River Rangers are stalwart examples of groups which tirelessly rid rivers of waste, preventing garbage from flowing out to the sea.

Though one storm or flood can very often leave riverbanks and coastal shores again awash with garbage, community activities such as manual cleanups foster a strong sense of stewardship amongst the citizenry and should always be supported.

Near the coastline lie lowland portions of the Imus River, covering parts of Imus, Kawit and Bacoor.

As can clearly be seen, vegetation changes from fruit-bearing broadleaf and bamboo groves to mangrove thickets inhabited by a wide variety of animals, including white-hued egrets and other waterbirds.

Lowland portions can be comprised of brackish water (a mix of fresh and seawater) and feature distinctive mudflats, which are bolstered and added to each rainy season.

The combination of tangled mangrove roots, shallow mudflats and tidal action means this zone retains much of the garbage flowing down from higher elevations.

Many residents in this zone either fish directly in the river or use it to access the adjacent fishing grounds of Manila Bay.

"This is our trash trap, which helps clean our river. This makes it easy for our River Warriors (waste collectors) to collect floating garbage, which are then hauled off by our garbage trucks. This helps keep our community clean," explains Bacoor Eco-Enforcer Alfonso Ignacio.

Provided that they are regularly maintained, trash traps or floating booms are low-cost and efficient ways to prevent floating garbage from flowing out to the sea.

These solutions can be adopted by riverside communities which generate significant amounts of plastic and organic waste.

"It’s really easy to turn used plastic bottles into bottle bricks,” shares Rhodora Sacramento, a school principal from Cavite.

“Just collect as many empty wrappers of candy or junk food as possible, then cut them into small strips and stuff them tightly inside the used bottles. When full, the bottle bricks can be arranged as fences and pathway guides in our schools and homes.”

"There have been changes in the water and our river system because of a new dumpsite," laments Domingo Ambita, a local official from Cavite. "Unfortunately, the dumpsite is near our source of water, the river. This river used to be inhabited by many types of fish, but most of them are now long gone. We know that the damage is irreversible. It will take a lot of years before we restore the cleanliness of our water."

Dumpsites are necessary to absorb the immense amount of waste generated by human communities. However, great care must be taken to ensure that they do not leach sludge into nearby waterways or worse - contaminate precious groundwater deposits tapped for potable water.

"Now the coliform content of our river is really high, which is why we banned people from swimming in the river. Still, pockets of life remain," concludes Domingo. 

To maintain the water quality of Asian rivers, dumpsites must be located as far away as possible and be managed with utmost care. 

A sea of garbage is what many people can see in Manila Bay, one of the world's most polluted water bodies. For each piece of floating plastic in this picture, many more can be found on the seabed.