UNIVERSITY OF ST.

LA SALLE - BACOLOD

Conservation: The Use of Waste Management of

Plastic in Marine Areas to Maintain Cleanliness
and Sustainability in Resources in the Philippines
In partial fulfillment of the requirements in Science, Technology, and Society - I for the First Semester of
the School Year 2021-2022

Submitted By:

STS-I: GROUP 2

Arcenas, Medelyn

Caseñas, Erika

Firmalino, Cris Andrei

Pico, Maria

Quezon, Justine Joy

Submitted To:

MR. MYLES JOSHUA T. TAN

Lecturer/ Facilitator
INTRODUCTION

Plastic is commonly utilized because it is easy, durable, and cost-effective, making it a

great option for consumers. Plastic, however, is a non-biodegradable substance that contributes
to total environmental degradation. Plastic bottles, for example, have major negative
environmental impacts. The seas and oceans are the most impacted places. Every year, around 22
billion water bottles are discarded, the great majority of which end up in the ocean, releasing
harmful chemicals, such as BPA, into the water, which can cause diseases to humans and harm
the ocean's ecosystem. Straws account for around 4% of all plastic waste in terms of volume, but
far less in terms of weight. Straws are so light—on average, one-sixteenth of an ounce or 42
grams—that billions of them account for just about 2,000 tons of the almost 9 million tons of
plastic trash that reaches the ocean each year. Understanding plastic pollution may be as simple
as examining the production, lifetime, and disposal of a plastic bottle. This technique involves
melting polymer chains of polyethylene terephthalate and molding them into a container. When
the bottle has been consumed, it is disposed of. If abandoned or disposed of in a landfill, the
bottle may take up to 500 years to decompose, posing a hazard to water flow. The trash patches
are found in areas of the water with poor nutrient levels and a depleted fauna. Improper plastic
waste management has always been a problem in our society today. Due to lack of discipline,
improper garbage disposal can jeopardize the lives of marine animals by introducing hazardous
debris into their bodies. The chemical contamination of the seas, as well as the millions of tons
of unmanaged garbage dumped in the oceans each year, are causing irreversible damage to
marine life as we know it. Ocean dumping reduces oxygen levels, leading to marine creatures to
suffocate, consume, and get agitated. Furthermore, a single hazardous chemical waste might
affect the entire food chain of marine animals. The consequence is a global disaster, with over
100 million marine animal lives lost each year and the ocean's ecology deteriorating. Ocean
pollution affects almost 1,000 species of marine creatures, and we currently have over 500 places
designated as dead zones where marine life cannot live. 100,000 marine animals die every year
as a result of becoming entangled in plastic. According to recent studies, marine plastic pollution
is identified in 100% of turtles, 59 percent of whales, and 36% of seals. When it comes to major
marine pollution, the Philippines is no exception; plastics are spread along the shore in several
bay areas in the Philippines. Filipinos will be more disciplined in maintaining the cleanliness of
bay areas if they are taught how to properly dispose of plastic garbage. This would help to reduce
enormous marine pollution.

For Zero Plagiarism Tolerance purposes: (not included in the final submission)
References:

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https://www.nrdc.org/stories/water-pollution-everything-you-need-know

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