EVEN in the most unexpected places, plastics, or what remain of them, continue to persist. Built to last, they can remain in the environment for generations, far outlasting the people who once used and discarded them. Despite all our progress, changing leadership, and the passing of centuries, the plastic waste we discard today will remain long after us.
Originating in Australia in 2011, ‘Plastic Free July’ has since been observed to raise awareness of humanity’s pervasive plastic problem and to encourage behavioral change toward reducing plastic use. What began as a 40-person, month-long challenge eventually led to the establishment of a non-profit charity that now manages the movement and inspires millions of people around the world to say no to plastic.
The movement exists for an important reason. The rate at which plastic has become ubiquitous is unprecedented. Over the last century and a half, plastic has moved from being a remarkable innovation to an everyday staple of human life. It is now essential in packaging, construction, fashion, and textiles because of its low cost, durability, and lightweight nature. Yet its greatest drawback comes from the very boon it offers: plastic is built to last, and because it does not fully decompose, it can persist in the environment for hundreds of years.
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, only 46 percent of all plastic waste is landfilled while the global recycling rate is projected to increase from 9 percent in 2019 to only 17 percent by 2060. This reveals a worrying gap between the scale of plastic consumption and the limited progress being made in addressing plastic waste.
Despite increasing efforts to regulate plastic use, uneven enforcement and a lack of affordable alternatives have kept plastics deeply embedded in daily life. Their widespread presence on land and in waterways threatens wildlife through ingestion, entanglement, and suffocation, while also degrading habitats by smothering coral reefs, accumulating in mangroves, and lining riverbanks, disrupting entire ecosystems.
These challenges are also evident in the Philippines, where marine plastic pollution continues to pose significant environmental, economic, and social concerns. This inescapable reality is largely caused by the country’s urban runoff, improper waste disposal, and still-developing regulations on waste management. A major underlying factor is the country’s sachet economy, where daily products such as shampoo, instant coffee, and chips are packed in small-quantity, single-use plastics due to economic and affordability constraints. Combined with Manila’s densely packed urban environment, this has resulted in a choking plastic waste problem for the country.
That said, significant progress was made in 2022 when Republic Act (RA) 11898, also known as the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Act of 2022, lapsed into law and amended RA 9003, or the ‘Ecological Solid Waste Management Act’ of 2000. The law mainly applies to large enterprises that generate plastic packaging waste and requires them to recover, reuse, recycle, treat or properly dispose of a percentage of the plastic waste associated with their products. Obliged enterprises must establish an EPR program covering their plastic packaging, which may include plastic waste recovery, diversion, recycling, and the accounting of their plastic footprint. To promote continuous improvement, the Act establishes progressively increasing recovery targets, requiring obliged enterprises to recover 20 percent of their plastic packaging footprint by the end of 2023, increasing to 40 percent in 2024, 50 percent in 2025, 60 percent in 2026, 70 percent in 2027, and 80 percent by 2028 and every year thereafter. Compliance is a key factor, as violations may result in fines ranging from PHP 5 million to PHP 20 million, as well as possible business suspension.
In 2024, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) issued DAO 2024-04 or the ‘Compliance Reporting and Audit Guidelines for the EPR Act,’ which requires obliged enterprises to submit an EPR Compliance Audit report and strengthen the law’s compliance system. In the same year, the World Bank has developed a roadmap for the Philippines to achieve Zero Plastic Waste Pollution by 2040. The roadmap aims to achieve three outcomes: (1) improve waste collection infrastructure and regulations to provide the groundwork for implementation; (2) invest in recycling technologies, training programs, and encourage participation in recycling efforts to transform wastes into resources and promote a circular economy; and, (3) reduce the production, and consumption of plastics through public education campaigns and more stringent legislation.
At R.G. Manabat and Co., doing our part begins within our own walls.
We actively implement internal initiatives to combat plastic waste, such as enforcing strategic waste segregation and cultivating a culture of environmental awareness among our professionals. Beyond our own operations, we extend this commitment to the wider business community. Drawing from our experience and expertise, we support our clients in navigating their own sustainability journeys by offering specialized services in waste monitoring, tracking, and EPR audit-related services. Ultimately, our goal is to help organizations bridge critical compliance gaps while empowering them to integrate genuinely sustainable practices into their core business strategies.
Our battle against pollution certainly has a long way to go as the waste we leave behind continues to persist long after it has served its purpose. While initiatives like Plastic Free July help raise awareness and disrupt current habits, lasting change depends on turning a month-long reflection into a year-round commitment to circularity.
The progress we have made and the growing number of people advocating for a cleaner tomorrow give us reason for hope. When the world one day inherits the legacy we leave behind, let us ensure it is not made of plastic.