Calls for zero-waste Traslacion unheeded, advocates say

Zero-waste advocates on Saturday lamented yet another year of what they described as "widespread littering" along major areas used during Traslacion 2026, following the conclusion of the Feast of the Holy Nazarene.

In a statement, the EcoWaste Coalition said calls for a waste-free Traslacion went unheeded as large amounts of garbage were left behind from Luneta to Quiapo in Manila.

Despite this, the group acknowledged that some actions by devotees helped lessen the volume of waste left behind.

“Our repeated pleas for a waste-free conduct of Traslacion have gone unheeded…" lamented zero-waste campaigner Ochie Tolentino. 

"Such a blatant disregard for our environment is unacceptable, especially given our current reality of climate emergency, pervasive pollution, and biodiversity loss, or what is termed as the triple planetary crisis,” she added.

But Tolentino also lauded the actions of volunteers who helped in preventing and reducing fiesta trash and pollution.

"We remain optimistic that the situation will change in future Traslacions as devotees learn to put this year’s theme, ‘He must increase, and I must decrease’ (John 3:30), into practice,” she said.

Meanwhile, the coalition said that among the usual litter collected—such as boxes, plastics, and food waste—the biggest challenge faced by cleaners was PET bottles filled with urine left behind near waste bins.

The EcoWaste Coalition listed the following areas as “littering hotspots”:

• The open field in front of the Quirino Grandstand
• Roxas Boulevard from T.M. Kalaw Street to Katigbak Drive
• T.M. Kalaw Street
• Carlos Palanca Street from Plaza Lacson to Quinta Market
• Both sides of Quezon Boulevard from Quezon Bridge to Recto Avenue
• Carriedo Street
• R. Hidalgo Street from Lacson Underpass to Plaza del Carmen
• Concepcion Aguila
• Arlegui
• Z.P. de Guzman
• Bilibid Viejo
• Casal and adjacent streets

The group noted that the only time Traslacion recorded zero littering was when the event was suspended from 2021 to 2023 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

'Positive' actions

The EcoWaste Coalition cited the following actions as having significantly reduced littering and pollution during the 2026 Traslacion:

• Repainting of arches and gutters using lead-safe paint
• Non-use of plastic banderitas and minimal use of plastic buntings by local communities
• Fewer “Happy Fiesta” tarpaulins and increased use of eco-friendly coconut cloth banners
• Provision of water dispensers and collection of discarded PET bottles
• Ban on the sale and use of firecrackers
• Use of banana leaf food packaging instead of non-compostable plastic containers and cutlery
• Immediate street sweeping and flushing along processional routes

Despite these efforts, the coalition said devotees and authorities still need to work together to achieve better results in future Traslacion festivities.

“The EcoWaste Coalition thanked all formal and informal waste workers who spent long hours picking up the mixed litter left by devotees and vendors, stressing that everyone should follow the ‘no trace’ and ‘clean as you go’ principles, and take their basura with them for proper segregation, reuse, recycling, or disposal,” the statement read.—MCG, GMA Integrated News