Aldrin Aujero July 30, 2018 It is widely known that non-biodegradable wastes cause adverse effects on the environment. One such effect is the clogging of waterways and sewage systems which inevitably lead to a worsened condition of flooding. Plastic, a non-biodegradable and very household item, is one of the main waste items that contribute to waterway clogging according to reports published by the Metro Manila Development Authority in 2017. Moreover, academic studies also claim that waterway clogging, along with the geographical properties of an area, is one of the main cause of urban flooding as the waste accumulates within waterways thereby slowing, and in some cases even halting, the flow of water (Shwetmala et. al, 2011).

In addition to flooding, plastic pollution also has considerable harms posed on marine ecosystems. Many of the plastic waste thrown into waterways end up in rivers and oceans which cause another variety of consequences (Fischer, 2017). One prominent harm is that plastic debris in oceans and water bodies are often ingested by marine animals, disrupting the ecosystem?s food chain and ecological system (Thompson et. al, 2009). That the Philippines is the 3rd largest contributor to ocean plastic waste, according to a report published by the Ocean Conservancy in 2017 accentuated by 2018 UN report that the Philippines among the 5 countries that contribute to half of the world?s total plastic waste, highlights the severity of the problem in the Philippines and thus the need for substantial action.

The necessity for action has induced several solutions to be carried out including the legislative ban on plastic bags in cities like Pasig and Baguio. Though indicative of a strong political will to reduce plastic waste, such legislative acts can only help to a certain extent. Grocery stores for example now default to giving paper bags instead of plastic bags. However, plastic bags can still be purchased with negligible additional fees thereby nullifying the effects of the disincentives. Moreover, small local vendors are often unmonitored by the local government hence making it possible for them to still issue plastic bags, while items such as plastic bottles and plastic straws are still made available in the vast majority of regions due to their indispensability. Hence, the issue of plastic waste still remains to be of concern. Although incrementally progressing, the transition out of a plastic-based economy will still require significant time. However, what can be done now is to minimize the amount of those plastics that are improperly disposed and cause harm to the environment.