The waves were ferocious when we arrived at the beach. When serenity set in, and eager to see the marine creatures near the kantil, my sister immediately put on her snorkeling gears to marvel at the magnificent living creatures in their habitats, as was her habit.
However, visibility was poor. The sea was murky. A bit disappointed, we chose to walk along the coasts.
The rough waves seemingly uploaded for all to see and perhaps begging for us to take back, the all too visible wastes — the perennial plastic bags, shampoo sachets, remnants of fishing nets, bottle caps, a torn slipper. I particularly winced when I saw a broken lamp — whoever threw it had no idea of the hazardous mercury contamination emanating from it that had been added to the heavily polluted seas and waterways.
It is a source of shame indeed that waste pollution in our streets, coasts and seas have become a common sight. Compelling action is a necessity.
Ecowaste Coalition, with partners, conducted a waste audit last month in the shores of Manila Bay. They collected 1,594 litters of waste discards “which they categorized as plastic bags, composites or plastic wrappers, polystyrenes, plastic bottles, hard plastics, rubbers, metals and cans, glasses, hazardous wastes, diapers and napkins, biodegradables and other discards.
Of the 1,594 litters of collected debris, plastic materials accounted for the highest percentage overall at 61.9 percent, with plastic bags topping the list at 23.2 percent and followed by composites or plastic wrappers at 18.8 percent.
Other discards such as cigarette butts, clothes, rags and sponges ranked second at 15.7 percent. Rubber wastes such as footwear ranked third at 11.9 percent, while biodegradable wastes placed fourth at 9.7 percent.”
While there are more local government units banning or regulating the use of plastic bags, there are still a lot more not doing anything to stop the gargantuan waste and plastic problem.
Among other negative effects, the indiscriminate use and disposal of plastic has been known to destroy coral reefs and entangle marine creatures such as sea turtles, dolphins and whales.
“Concern is growing over the threat that widespread plastic waste poses to marine life, with conservative estimates of the overall financial damage of plastics to marine ecosystems standing at US$13 billion each year, according to two reports released on the opening day of the first United Nations Environment Assembly.”
These are (i) The UNEP Year Book 2014 which gives an update on 10 emerging issues including plastic wastes in our oceans, environmental impacts of excess nitrogen and marine aquaculture, air pollution’s deadly toll, and the potential of citizen science and recommends steps for crucial action, and (ii) Valuing Plastic, a UNEP-supported report on managing and disclosing plastic use in the consumer goods industry. It discloses that “the overall natural capital cost of plastic use in the consumer goods sector each year is US$75 billion — financial impacts resulting from issues such as pollution of the marine environment or air pollution caused by incinerating plastic.
It notes further “that over 30 percent of the natural capital costs of plastic are due to greenhouse gas emissions from raw material extraction and processing…” with marine pollution “as the largest downstream cost, and that the figure of US$13 billion is likely a significant underestimate.”
Achim Steiner, the UN Undersecretary-General and UNEP Executive Director laments that “Plastics have come to play a crucial role in modern life, but the environmental impacts of the way we use them cannot be ignored.”
He said that “These reports show that reducing, recycling and redesigning products that use plastics can bring multiple green economy benefits — from reducing economic damage to marine ecosystems and the tourism and fisheries industries, vital for many developing countries, to bringing savings and opportunities for innovation to companies while reducing reputational risks.”
He adds that “The key course of action is to prevent plastic debris from entering the environment in the first place, which translates into a single powerful objective: reduce, reuse, recycle.” (https://www.unep.org/newscentre/default.aspx?DocumentID=2791&ArticleID=10903#sthash.AGF5j1ga.dpuf).
The recent burning of a warehouse containing plastic products in Mandaue City is worrisome as burning of plastic releases hazardous substances which harm the environment and the people.
In view of the continuing failure of the National Solid Waste Management Commission to perform its mandate of listing the Non-Environmentally Acceptable Products under RA 9003, the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, we urgently need a strong national law to regulate the production, importation, use and disposal of plastic bags.
It would be inspiring that at the local level, more local chief executives and stakeholders will be able to find real, doable and long-lasting solutions to the unabated pressures that our ecosystems are facing such as the growing waste menace.