Multinationals polluting oceans with plastic in the Philippines

Activists say that plastic washing at Manila Beach can be traced back to Western brands and can be cashed with Asia's "Spicy Bag Economy"

Styrofoam packaging, discarded flip-flops, plastic bags, straws - and many small packages containing one serving of food from shampoo to food once

Environmental activists say the project to review plastic waste in Manila Bay in the Philippines shows that multinational brands benefit from Asian economic growth at the expense of the environment.

This review was done by #breakfreefromplastic with the Philippine Greenpeace volunteer. They say that the Philippines is one of the most contaminated countries in the world, accusing companies like Nestle, Unilever, and Indonesia company PT Torabika Mayora.

Mr. Abigail Agural of the Philippine Greenpeace said at a press conference that these companies are global losers in the fight against plastic contamination. "People are not responsible and are exposed to social and environmental influences of plastic waste" people "

According to McKinsey's research report released in 2015, the Philippines is the third largest plastic polluting country in the world, second only to China and Indonesia. Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia also enter the top ten

Greenpeace says that as the economy grows, the "newly discovered spending power" of these countries "has brought about a sharp rise in demand for consumer products, but the corresponding waste management infrastructure has yet to be satisfied You say.

Greenpeace says the company has entered these markets and its products are finally packaged in garbage and packaged in affordable disposable pouches that eventually become landfills or marine pollution It was.

The organization called on companies to rethink their approach to marketing and distribution of goods.

"For example, they are able to expand grower liability, and the company has replaced new products that can not be reused or recyclable, with a new system such as refilling rather than ultimate waste management," Aguilar said I will.

"In the long run, they will bring powerful environmental and economic benefits," she added.

According to the 2015 report by the Marine Protection Association, the Philippines is currently ranked third among countries with the largest contribution to the world's plastic waste. The group also points out that 80% of marine pollution is recorded on land and eventually leads to various waters. In the Philippines, particularly in Metro Manila, appropriate waste management remains a major issue. The Senate Economic Planning Bureau notes that serious waste management that poses serious health hazards and environmental impacts, leaving unresolved inappropriate waste disposal, inefficient waste disposal, and lack of treatment facilities We identified it as a problem.

This is only a small part of Asia's major pollution problem. According to the 2017 report by the Marine Protection Society, China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam have dumped more plastics into the ocean than other countries. This is not just Asian problems. Plastics is one of the biggest environmental problems facing the world. The US waste about 33.6 million tons of plastic and only 5% was recycled. Entering the Swedish company Bluewater, it is expected that its energy efficient water filtration technology will soon appear in homes, offices and event venues throughout Asia. The company hopes to increase the exposure of the filtered water to the public and break the notion that bottled water is safer than proper water filtration.

Each country is polluted, but according to the Marine Protection Association, about two-thirds of marine plastic waste comes from five countries, China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Sri Lanka. Some of them will sink, but most come together along the ocean current flow called the Great Pacific Trash Patch or along the coastline. But most activists say that human beings can not collect garbage as soon as they throw out garbage, so prevention should focus. Developing countries have committed to invest billions of dollars in the waste management system to help prevent marine waste. In the field, regulatory authorities' goal is to target disposable products such as plastic bags and straws.