World Bank: PH still top global plastic polluter

The Philippines remains one of the world’s leading contributors to marine plastic pollution, with nearly nine percent of its mismanaged plastic waste ending up in the ocean each year, the World Bank (WB) warned.

- By RICARDO M. AUSTRIA

In a report released on Dec. 26 titled “Tackling a National Crisis: How the World Bank is Paving the Way for a More Sustainable Plastic Waste Management in the Philippines,” the WB said the country leaks more than 0.3 million metric tons of plastic into the sea annually—equivalent to 8.8 percent of its improperly handled plastic waste.

The report said the Philippines, along with Indonesia and Malaysia, ranks among the top contributors to ocean plastic pollution in the East Asia and Pacific region, reinforcing the area’s status as one of the world’s largest sources of marine plastic waste.

“The plastic crisis in the country has already led to high pollution levels and detrimental effects on public health, tourism, and natural resources,” the report said.

According to the WB, the Philippines has long struggled to establish a circular and sustainable solid waste management system (SWM) due to persistent gaps in infrastructure, governance, policy implementation, and technical capacity.