THE end of 2019 means another decade in the books. And with that, countries around the world are left with just 10 years to fulfill their commitment of providing a better future and life for everyone.
By 2030, at least 17 sustainable development goals (SDG), which are blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all, should be met.
All of these goals are tall order. And one of the gargantuan tasks for countries, especially like the Philippines, is by becoming a nation that is able to do “more and better with less.”
The SDG 12, known as Sustainable Consumption and Production, promotes “resource- and energy-efficient, sustainable infrastructure, and providing access to basic services, green and decent jobs and a better quality of life for all.”
Among the targets of the goal is “to substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse,” by 2030.
And achieving such feat entails the cooperation of every global citizen up to multibillionaire firms.
“Encourage companies, especially large and transnational companies, to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle,” SDG 12.6 reads.
In the Philippines, multinational firms have been stepping up their game to contribute to the achievement of this SDG.
The ‘single-use’ problem
The Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (Gaia) released a study this year that sought to provide a “snapshot of the plastic pollution problem” in the Philippines, “where a number of cities are trying to implement sustainable Zero Waste strategies.”
Gaia is a global network of more than 800 grassroots groups, nongovernment organizations that promotes “zero waste as a holistic solution and an economic shift toward justice and sustainability.”
In its study titled “Plastics Exposed How Waste Assessments and Brand Audits are Helping Philippine Cities Fight Plastic Pollution,” Gaia pointed to the “lack of extensive data” in the Philippines regarding the “regarding the production, consumption, and disposal of single-use plastics and plastic packaging.”
“For example, there is no data on the total sachet production of companies, which make up a significant portion of throwaway plastics in dumps, waterways, and beaches,” the group explained in the study released last March.
The research compiled data from 21 waste assessments conducted in six cities and seven municipalities across the Philippines, according to Gaia.
In the study, Gaia pointed out that one of the biggest challenge in domestic waste reduction is the “the proliferation of plastic bags, sachets, and other disposable plastic packaging and products.”
As Gaia puts it: Single-use disposable plastic is the greatest obstacle to sound waste and resource management.
“Inadequate waste management systems and human negligence are often cited as the main contributors to plastic waste leakage into terrestrial and marine environments—but waste and brand audit data in many parts of the world are helping reveal that the unfettered production of disposable plastic is the actual problem,” the group said in the report released in March.
“As long as the mass production of throwaway plastics continues unabated, cities and countries will find it harder and harder to cope. Put simply, disposable plastic is a pollution problem, and the only way to prevent it is to stop it at source,” it added.
164 million sachets a day
The Gaia study yielded 48,080 pieces of plastic products from the 21 study sites. Of which are: 25,147 pieces of sachets, 15,581 pieces of multilayer, multi-material sachets, 11,526 pieces of plastic labo bags, 7,246 pieces of plastic shopping bags and 4,161 other items.
From these the researchers extrapolated data to estimate the plastic residual use per capita per year and for the entire Philippines per day.
Based on the data, Gaia said an average Filipino uses 591 pieces of sachets per year or about 1.64 pieces a day, a “modest figure compared to urban consumption.”
“For example in Quezon City, which can reach as many as six pieces per person per day. Included in the sachet count are: shampoo, conditioner, detergent, fabric softener, condiments, coffee and other drinks, processed food, etc,” Gaia said.
The Gaia study’s findings revealed almost 164 million pieces of sachets are used daily, equivalent to about 59.7 billion pieces of sachets annually.
“These sachets represent billions of pesos in profits for manufacturing companies. However, these companies are not mandated to manage sachet waste once they have sold these to Filipino consumers. All these sachets are unrecyclable and represent waste that has to be managed by cities and municipalities using taxpayers’ money,” it said.
“All these sachets are unrecyclable and represent waste that has to be managed by cities and municipalities using taxpayers’ money,” it added.
Furthermore, Gaia findings showed that the Philippines uses 48.125 million pieces of plastic shopping bags and 45.228 million pieces of plastic labo bags daily.
The country also uses a little over 3 million pieces of disposable diapers a day, which is equivalent to 76 pieces of diapers per Filipino per year.
“These figures show that that the sheer volume of residual waste generated daily is beyond the capacity of barangays, cities and municipalities to manage: the problem is the huge amount of single use plastics being produced, not the way the waste is managed,” Gaia said.
Additional household income
The Gaia study also looked at potential income of a household per study site if they would collect and sell recyclables. Based on their data gathering, 11 to 23.87 percent of total household waste in the sample sites are recyclables which could be diverted from landfills by bringing these to junkshops or waste markets.
“The old saying ‘one man’s trash is another man’s treasure’ holds true in the amount of recyclables that can be recovered from household waste,” the report read.
Based on the extrapolation of data, a Quezon City household could earn P11.68 a week from just selling recyclables to junk shop, according to the study.
“The amount might not be significant to a household of four people, but it could mean additional income for a waste collector assigned to 200 households. The figure could translate to P9,352 (USD178.81) a month for that waste collector,” the study said.
On a barangay level, for example, Gaia noted that Brgy. Paraiso, one of the sample sites, which has a population of 3,790 or 816 households, could collectively generate nearly P500,000 annually by selling recyclables.
Stepping up
In the Philippines, multinationals have been stepping up their game to meet SDG 12 as the goal explicitly pointed out their responsibilities in turning the world to a better and more sustainable habitat.
In June of this year, Nestlé Philippines together with Valenzuela City, the Department of Education (DepEd) and Green Antz Builders Inc., launched a city-wide residual waste-recovery program in Valenzuela City, known as “plastic city” for hosting a number of plastic factories in Metro Manila.
Nestlé Philippines’s program called May Balik! Sa Plastik! promotes proper waste segregation, recycling, and disposal—packaging materials that end up in sanitary engineered landfills or open dumps.
The program targets the recovery of waste laminates such as postconsumer sachets and used beverage cartons, considered residual wastes and comprise the bulk of ocean-plastic pollution. The Philippines is the third-largest source of ocean plastic pollution.
Under the program, using appropriate technologies, these so-called residual wastes may still be used for recycling, upcycling or coprocessing in cement kilns.
A first-class city, Valenzuela City is determined to challenge the perception that plastic is bad. Properly managed, plastic or even its so-called residual waste, have its positive impact to livelihood, and environment, Mayor Rexlon Gatchalian said during the launch at the city’s Amphitheater.
Speaking mostly in Filipino, Gatchalian said through the program, they hope to encourage proper use and disposal of plastics as it also has positive effect to the environment and through the program, to help improve the living condition in Valenzuela City by converting these residual wastes into cash.
Valenzuela City is among the very few cities in the National Capital Region (NCR) without an ordinance that bans the use of single-use plastic or Styrofoam.
“Tackling the problem of plastic waste in the environment and arriving at sustainable solutions are of paramount importance to Nestlé,” the company’s Chairman and CEO Kais Mazouki said.
Marzouki recalled that in April 2018, Nestle announced a global commitment that 100 percent of its packaging will be designed for recycling or reusable by 2025 as it envisions that none of its waste would end up in landfill or as litter.
He said this can be achieved through three focus areas, namely, developing packaging of the future; helping shape a waste-free future through collection and recycling and addressing consumer beliefs and behaviors.
“At Nestle Philippines, we are accelerating our efforts to find solutions to the plastic problem,” he said. He added that while the company looks for innovative packaging solutions, it is also imperative to take immediate action to stop leakage into waterways and oceans, and find ways to recycle its packaging.
Under the program and in partnership with Green Antz Builders Inc., the proponents of the program will encourage school children to turn over their sachets and used beverage cartons in designated outlets.
Green Antz Builders Inc., an innovative social enterprise which manufactures alternative construction materials, will use these residual waste as raw materials for eco-bricks.
The company will collect the plastic waste from the schools and barangays. The bulk of the collection will go to Republic Cement for co-processing in its cement kilns.
Billion-peso facility
Almost the same time as Nestlé’s May Balik sa Plastic program, Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines, Inc. (CCBPI), the bottling arm of Coca-Cola in the country, unveiled its P1-billion investment in a pioneering food-grade facility to help boost recycling in the country.
This was Coca-Cola’s first major investment in a recycling facility in South East Asia and is part of the its commitment to a World Without Waste.
CCBPI said it has engaged with potential partners to “ensure that the positive impact of the facility will be total and far-reaching.”
These partners include: a reputable local company, as well as an internationally-recognized green technology partner in recycling.
CCBPI explained that facility will collect, sort, clean and wash post-consumer PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic bottles and turn them into new bottles using advanced technology.
“Coca-Cola has called the Philippines its home for 107 years and counting, and we want to do our part in ensuring sustainability within its shores,” said Gareth McGeown, President and CEO of Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines, Inc.
“Our Coca-Cola bottles and cans are 100-percent recyclable and have value as a recycled material. Our aspiration with this facility is to close the loop on our packaging by helping turn old bottles into new ones. This facility is testament to our resolve in making our World Without Waste vision a reality across the country, with real positive impact not just across our value chain, but also in the communities where we belong,” McGeown added.
Once established, the facility is expected to help improve PET collection and recycling rates in the Philippines—and, with this, the generation of more Filipino jobs, according to the multinational.
“The project will also help uplift the livelihood of workers across the waste materials value chain, including that of waste-pickers and waste-collectors. Through job creation and the institutionalization of environmentally conscious practices, this recycling facility will help build stronger communities,” CCBPI said.
The project is an integral part of “World Without Waste” – Coca-Cola’s global commitment to collect and recycle the equivalent of every bottle and can that it sells by 2030, it said.
“The company also intends to use an average of 50-percent recycled content in its packaging including its PET bottles,” CCBPI said.
“World Without Waste is one of Coca-Cola’s most ambitious sustainability goals to date. Over the years, the company has made strong progress in the Philippines by integrating sustainability across the business and the value chain—from water resources (the company has already achieved over 100% water replenishment through an array of community water projects); to energy (50 percent of Coca-Cola’s operational energy requirements in the country utilize renewable energy); to sustainable packaging (50 percent of volume in returnable glass bottles),” it added.
Much work, little time
The Philippines, the recognized center of world marine biodiversity, stressed at the high-level 4th UN Environment Assembly in March that countries must double time to achieve environmental-related SDGs including SDG 12.
The UN Environment Assembly is the multilateral’s highest-decision making body on environmental issues.
The Philippines challenged fellow UN member-states to detail what they have achieved after decades of negotiations toward a better and sustainable global environment.
The country’s statement during the four-day high-level March meeting in Nairobi, Kenya was delivered by Philippine Ambassador to Kenya Francis Maynard Maleon.
“After decades of negotiations resulting in multilateral environmental agreements of every kind, we should have at least made a dent in the gargantuan task of cleaning up the environment, halting and reversing biodiversity loss and drastically reducing our emissions. But, are we succeeding?” Maleon said.
“Now, more than ever is the best time to seriously take stock of what we have accomplished, thus far, and, building on these efforts, to unequivocally, ambitiously, and innovatively move forward, and not backwards, with concrete actions towards building sustainable and resilient societies,” Maleon added.
Maleon said countries as “as one global community” must “strive for sustainable consumption and production patterns, using a complete full-life cycle approach, across our global economy, with the people and planet at the forefront, as spelled out in our SDGs.”
“For our part, as a mega-diverse country, the Philippines is ready to do its share – even as on a per capita, our consumption rate is lower than the global average – as we seriously pursue the formulation and eventual implementation of our Sustainable Consumption and Production Plan,” Maleon said.
The Filipino diplomat said this plan is in line with President Duterte’s directive to make environmental protection and ensuring sustainable development for all “a top priority” of the current administration.
“Leading in this effort is our Department of Environment and Natural Resources which has vowed to be more aggressive in enforcing environmental laws and regulations this year to sustain the momentum created by the six-month rehabilitation of Boracay, the agency’s centerpiece accomplishment, in 2018, and Manila Bay this year,” he said.
Maleon said the “Philippines remains committed to its roadmap and action plans for biodiversity conservation, climate change, food security, renewable and clean energy and the attainment of the SDGs.”
He continued: “Excellencies, we are running out of time. As we speak, the cost of our procrastination in addressing our abuses against our global commons and natural capital is already haunting us.
“Our unsustainable human consumption patterns must be curbed, so we can still leave behind a world where future generations can still pursue their own sustainable development aspirations, and not stolen from them.”
What lies ahead?
As the world chases its goal of meeting a sustainable future for all, one cannot help but ask: Are plastics naturally good or bad?
Former United Nations Environment Programme (Unep) Head Erik Solheim makes a good case about this in his foreword to the program’s study titled “Single-use Plastics: A Roadmap for Sustainability.”
At the get-go, Solheim pointed out that there is no doubt that plastic is a “miracle material,” that saved “countless lives,” facilitated growth of energy sector, and “revolutionized” food storage.
But the characteristics of this “miracle material” such as convenience and affordability, made it one of the planet’s “greatest environmental challenges,” Solheim wrote.
“Our oceans have been used as a dumping ground, choking marine life and transforming some marine areas into a plastic soup,” he said.
“In cities around the world, plastic waste clogs drains, causing floods and breeding disease. Consumed by livestock, it also finds its way into the food chain,” he added.
And if that’s the case, is there a way to solve this “one of the greatest environmental challenges” known to man? Solheim believes so.
“The good news,” Solheim pointed out, is that a growing number of governments are “taking actions and demonstrating that all nations, whether rich or poor, can become global environmental leaders.”
Solheim cited the case of Rwanda, which he said “is now one of the cleanest nations on earth” since it became a pioneer in banning single-use plastic bags.
Kenya has followed the footsteps of its fellow African country to “help clear its iconic national parks and save its cows from an unhealthy diet,” Solheim said.
“Plastic isn’t the problem. It’s what we do with it. And that means the onus is on us to be far smarter in how we use this miracle material,” Solheim said in ending his foreword.
There is hope
During the 4th high-level UNEA in Nairobi, world leaders from more than 170 UN member-states issued a declaration saying the “world needed to speed up moves towards a new model of development in order to respect the vision laid out in the Sustainable Development Goals for 2030.”
The declaration is grounded on the countries’ grave concern by the mounting evidence that the planet is “increasingly polluted, rapidly warming and dangerously depleted.”
The ministers “pledged to address environmental challenges through advancing innovative solutions and adopting sustainable consumption and production patterns,” according to Unep.
“We reaffirm that poverty eradication, changing unsustainable—and promoting sustainable —patterns of consumption and production, and protecting and managing the natural resource base of economic and social development are the overarching objectives of, and essential requirements for, sustainable development,” the ministers said in a final declaration.
“We will improve national resource management strategies with integrated full lifecycle approaches and analysis to achieve resource-efficient and low-carbon economies,” they said.
The world leaders also pledged to “significantly reduce single-use plastic products,” according to the declaration.
“We will address the damage to our ecosystems caused by the unsustainable use and disposal of plastic products, including by significantly reducing single-use plastic products by 2030, and we will work with the private sector to find affordable and environmentally friendly products,” they said.
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