Philippines ranked third in terms of world ocean pollution
Multinationals contribute to the problem by selling cheap disposable plastic products. Greenpeace points the finger at Nestlé, Unilever and Procter & Gamble as some of the worst offenders.
Manila (AsiaNews/Agencies) – The Philippines is ranked third worst polluter of the world’s oceans after China and Indonesia and before Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia, this according to a report released by Greenpeace yesterday.
The Philippines contributed 1.88 million tonnes of "mismanaged plastic waste" each year. This is in part due to Western consumer giants selling products packaged in cheap disposable plastic to Filipinos with Nestle, Unilever and Procter & Gamble among the worst offenders.
Single-use plastics from products sold by conglomerates, such as bags, bottle labels, and straws, stood out during a week-long Greenpeace clean-up campaign held on Manila Bay this month.
More than 54,200 pieces of plastic waste were recovered from the bay in total, including some 9,000 from Nestle products – the most frequently-seen brand.
Plastic waste was a particularly serious problem in "sachet economies" like the Philippines and other developing countries, where people on limited incomes are pushed to buy cheap goods in small quantities.
The problem is expected to worsen as these countries' growing economies lead to rising incomes and "exploding demand for consumer products".
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