00:00Robert and Andoy consider floating plastics to be rich.
00:04It is also the reason why pollution in the ocean is increasing.
00:13Based on the World Bank's 2021 data,
00:16every year, about 2.7 million tons of plastic waste
00:21comes from the Philippines.
00:2420% of it is sent to the oceans.
00:29According to a study by the Ocean Conservancy,
00:32the Philippines is the third contributor to plastic pollution in the world.
00:38One of the reasons is the sachet economy
00:41or the use of single-use containers that are difficult or impossible to recycle.
00:48The root cause of plastic pollution is actually plastic production.
00:53So if we don't make plastic,
00:54if we don't make millions of plastic,
00:58we won't have problems with garbage and single-use plastics that harm the environment.
01:05Plastic waste management is also a problem in our country.
01:09It is the reason why instead of going to treatment and recycling facilities,
01:13plastic is collected in the ocean.
01:17Of course, we need simple everyday practices
01:21like proper segregation and opting for reusables.
01:27But we have to understand that individual actions,
01:31what individuals do can only do so much.
01:35Plastic pollution is a systemic problem.
01:39The system needs to be changed to actually address plastic pollution.
01:46Greenpeace also added that in order to address this problem,
01:51we need strict implementation of existing laws.
01:57Why don't we have strict implementation?
02:00Even the ordinances in different cities and provinces,
02:05there are some that are not implemented properly.
02:09We need a national plastic ban
02:11so that problematic single-use plastics like sachets
02:17are actually limited in the production of such plastics.
02:22According to the Coastal Resources and Foreshore Management Section of the DNR,
02:27local governments and communities need to help
02:31to reduce the problem of garbage.
02:34In the Philippines, we have what we call the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.
02:40Under this law,
02:43local governments are required to look at the implementation
02:49of their ordinances against garbage.
02:55We need to do a lot to improve the management of our solid waste.
03:02But in terms of garbage disposal,
03:06particularly in our oceans,
03:08it would take a collective effort
03:11for the national, local, community, and private and business sectors.
03:21As long as we don't regulate and we don't limit plastic production,
03:25and as long as we don't provide affordable and accessible
03:30plastic alternatives,
03:32our communities will continue to worsen
03:38our problems with plastic pollution.
04:02Copyright © 2020, New Thinking Allowed Foundation
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