A Plastic Tale:
Wh can help
8
AY 2020 - 2021 VOLUME LXXIX
The journey of plastic from our hands to the world Compiled by Romchelle Chris Danielle Waminal Graphics by Cristopher Villaruel
60% Inadequate waste management systems are the primary cause of plastic pollution in Southeast Asia and China.
Around 60% of marine plastic debris enters the ocean from just five countries namely China, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines.
In Malaysia and the Philippines, just 15% of plastic waste is safely disposed of. The numbers present an urgent need to effectively execute proper collecting, sorting, recycling, and disposing of waste.
Single-use plastics and packaging for consumer goods are the main drivers of the increase in plastic pollution.
36% Globally, 36% of plastic is used for packaging. 32% of it leaks into the environment.
14% The remaining 14% is recycled in some way with only 2% being continually recycled while the rest is dumped into landfills.
Product packaging is the major user of plastic and accounts for about half of the world’s plastic waste. Whereas, household consumption of plastic packaging means plastic will most likely end up in the oceans.
“Filipinos use more than 163 million plastic sachet packets, 48 million shopping bags, and 45 million thin-film bags daily,” the Global Alliance in Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) stated in its 2019 report.
TOLENTINE STAR IS THE OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEGROS OCCIDENTAL - RECOLETOS
