Marine advocates call for ‘comprehensive’ national policy to reduce plastic packaging

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 15)— Marine and environmental groups urged the Philippine government on Friday to implement a comprehensive national policy that would force manufacturers and companies to cut their plastic packaging production.

A study published in 2021 by the Science Advances journal found that seven of the top ten plastic-polluted rivers in the world were in the Philippines.

The Philippines is the biggest contributor of plastic waste leaking into the ocean, with 4,820 of its rivers emitting 356,371 metric tons of waste per year, it said. However, that’s only 8.8% of the country’s overall plastic waste contribution, it added.