Philippines 17.5 Billion Shopping Bags Create Plastic Waste Mess
This article is for subscribers only.
The Philippines uses 17.5 billion plastic shopping bags and about 60 billion plastic sachets a year, generating so much waste that local governments are unable to cope, according to the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, a non-governmental organization.
Filipinos also use about 45 million thin film bags daily, the organization said in a statement, citing a study conducted in six cities and seven towns in the past five years. The group is calling on governments and manufacturers to regulate and stop producing single-use plastics, which it said are the greatest obstacle to sound management of waste and resources.