PH readies roadmap to curb plastic pollution

Metro Manila, Philippines - The Philippines launched on Thursday, Jan. 23, a multistakeholder platform tasked to come up with a national roadmap to combat plastic pollution.

The country’s National Plastic Action Partnership (NPAP) will develop “very robust” baseline data to assess the plastic pollution footprint, which will be the basis for forming the national plastic action roadmap by August.

“This platform will really catalyze a transition to a circular economy, one that views plastic waste not as an insurmountable burden but as an opportunity for science, engineering, technology and innovation to address this particular crisis,” Environment Secretary Toni Yulo Loyzaga said.

“By adopting circularity, we can transform waste into resources, reduce environmental pressures, and enhance economic and social well-being of all,” she said.

During the NPAP launch, Environment Undersecretary Jonas Leones said the Philippines generates 61,000 metric tons of solid waste daily (or could fill up at least 24 Olympic-sized pools). Of the number, 12% to 24% are plastic waste.

Leones said Filipinos use 163 million plastic sachets, 48 million shopping bags, and 45 million thin-film bags every day. He said around 33% is disposed of in landfills and dumpsites, while around 35% is leaked into the open environment and oceans.

While he has cited statistics from various sources, the NPAP will form baseline data to comprehensively tackle the plastic crisis, considering also gender and social issues associated with the problem.

“And hopefully with this baseline data, we can strengthen our position in the plastics treaty discussion because we cannot really implement or enforce activities as proposed by the treaty if we don't have the capacity to implement it,” Leones said.

The DENR official was referring to the Global Plastic Treaty, a United Nations-led international agreement being negotiated by around 175 countries to end plastic pollution “at every stage of the material’s life cycle, from manufacturing to disposal.”

The countries will reconvene this year after talks held in South Korea last year did not reach an agreement.

“So that when we go to the discussions on the plastic treaty at least we know our positions, how far we can negotiate with other countries to push for the best interest of the country,” he added.

The NPAP is also set to review the implementation of the Extended Producer Responsibility Act next year to improve compliance of large companies in recovering their plastic packaging waste, said Floredama Eleazar of the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Philippines office.

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The Department of Environment sits as the chair of the NPAP Philippines, the private sector as co-chair, and the UNDP Philippines as secretariat.

Its steering board, which conducted its first meeting on Thursday, is composed of 15 senior executives from the government, private sector, development partners, and civil society.

Eleazar said the NPAP will also put in place a financing roadmap evaluating the needed investments, incentives, and other financing instruments to ensure targets are met.

The Philippines officially joined the Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP), a global program under the World Economic Forum, in 2023. Currently, 25 countries are part of the GPAP, including Southeast Asian neighbors Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, and Vietnam.

The United Kingdom and Canada, the two countries sitting in the GPAP governing council, showed support for the Philippines’ initiative.

“I am both inspired and energized by the board’s ambition and I’m proud that the United Kingdom is supporting this platform. We will continue to play our part to help shape strategies, unlock value and potential of circular economy in the Philippines,” British Ambassador to the Philippines Laure Beaufils said.

“I am confident that national iteration here in the Philippines with the able support of the UNDP as secretariat will yield progress in efforts to reduce plastic waste in the years to come,” Canadian Ambassador to the Philippines David Hartman said.