Don't treat Manila Bay like a trash can, NGO appeals

Environmentalist group EcoWaste Coalition on Tuesday appealed to the public to improve their trash disposal habits in light of the excessive garbage that washed ashore on Roxas Boulevard from Manila Bay over the past few days.

In an interview on Unang Balita on Tuesday, Daniel Alejandre of EcoWaste Coalition said Manila Bay's trash problem was the result of Manila and nearby towns disposing their trash in the body of water despite it being a catch basin for these areas.

Eighty tons of garbage were thrown back by big waves in Manila Bay following torrential rains over the weekend. The garbage collected since Saturday has filled 27 garbage trucks as of Monday.

Aside from being unsightly, plastic and improperly disposed garbage pose a problem to public health and marine health, Alejandre said.

"Lahat 'yan ay partisipasyon ng lahat. Tayo mismo 'yung nagkakalat doon sa lugar; ibig sabihin, may kinalaman kung saan nangyari 'yun. Simula 'yun sa manufacturers, sa gobyerno, maging sa consumers, 'yung pagiging iresponsable sa pagtatapon ng basura," Alejandre said

In order to do their part in reducing this trash, consumers must reuse, reduce, recycle, and refuse plastic, he said.

Manufacturers were also asked by the group, in a statement, to "find alternatives to throw-away plastic packaging" to avoid further pollution of the bay with plastics and chemicals.

"Irresponsibly thrown discards can lead to a wide range of problems, including poor hygiene and sanitation, flashfloods, leptospirosis, dengue and other diseases, human exposure to hazardous substances, ocean pollution, and economic losses,” Alejandre wrote.

The group also encouraged the public to avoid throwing garbage on streets, storm drains, creeks, and vacant lots.

It also asked the public to segregate their trash at source, reuse, recycle, and compost.

Alejandre said during the interview that since a greater population meant a greater use of single-use plastics, manufacturers of these materials must be discouraged along with its use.

"I-manage man 'yan ng mga tao sa kani-kanilang tahanan, 'yung bad design mismo ng produkto na gumagamit ng single-use packaging 'yung problema natin," he said.

"Kung uugatin natin 'yan, wala kang makikitang basura na itatapon sa mga landfill o tambakan ng basura o sa mga karagatan natin kung in the first place walang pino-produce na ganitong problema," Alejandre added.

The group also advised the public to put out their garbage outside their homes only on the days garbage trucks come to collect them.

It also encouraged buying in bulk to avoid excessive packaging. —Rie Takumi/KG, GMA News