LIWAYWAY Holdings Company Limited is a top contributor to coastal pollution, the IDIS-led coastal clean-up and brand audit in Island Garden City of Samal (IGaCos) revealed.
The clean-up last Nov. 8 covered a stretch from Purok Cacao to Sabang Cliff, IGaCos, an initiative led by Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (IDIS), in partnership with the University of Southeastern Philippines (USeP) CDM Interns, and the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro-IGACOS).
The brand audit aims to identify the top polluting brands and products to shape future policy recommendations and advance efforts to reduce single-use plastics, particularly in populated areas like Kaputian Beach Park and resorts across Samal.
In the brand audit, a total of 533 mixed waste items were collected along the Sabang coastline, leading the list arisiwayway Holdings Company Limited with 141 items, followed by JBC Food Corporation (67), Nestle (47), Philip Morris International (27), and Monde M.Y. San Corporation (23).
Other brands include Leslie Corporation (21), Nature’s Spring (19), Columbia International Food Products (11), The Coca-Cola Company (11), and Nutri-Asia Inc. (9).
The audit also logged packaging materials with 99 pieces, sando bags/labo bags (98 pieces), used clothes (15 pieces), fishing gear (9 pieces), and bottled drinks (9 pieces).
“This highlights the persistent challenge of managing plastic waste in coastal areas like IGACOS, where branded waste continues to dominate,” IDIS said in a press release.
IDIS emphasized the report shows there is a need to call for companies producing single-use plastics to be accountable and advocate for sustainable packaging solutions.
Microplastics from these items, according to the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) release harmful chemicals into the soil, which seeps into groundwater and nearby water sources, which ultimately damages ecosystems.
IDIS urged both locals and visiting tourists of IGaCoS to be responsible for their waste and consumption of single-use plastics.
