WASTE CRISIS: STREAMS OF FLOATING DISEASES

Alfred E. Delos Santos | BSChE 2A

Swimming on the trash– Lots of children, especially those who are living in
underprivileged areas are often seen playing and diving in a water full of trash, which
made them highly prone to a lot of health implications.
Philippines is known for having beautiful islands and sceneries of nature, but little
did we know that our country stands for being the top three world's largest ocean
polluter? For years, we have not taken any action regarding the settlement of our waste
management problems. Masses of plastic trash swirling in waterways. garbage clogging
the drainage, and huge stinking dump sites are among the most visible manifestations
of the waste crisis in the Philippines.
The Philippines generates 2.7 trillion tons of plastic wastes annually and half a
million tons or 20% of it leak into oceans, a report stated from Break Free from Plastic.
According to Froilan Grate. Executive Director of the Philippines branch of the Global
Alliance for incinerator Alternatives, an absence of garbage collection services in
secondary cities and many of the country's smaller islands are largely to blame for the
overwhelming amount of marine plastics coming from the country. However, 18 years
later there are still more than 900 open dump sites across the country. "Many secondary
cities do not have waste collection at all," he explains, adding that segregation and
recycling efforts are scant regardless of the legislation.

Why should we avoid using synthetic products?

Generally, the Philippines produces about 35,000 tons of garbage daily and more than
8.600 tons per day in Metro Manila alone, an Asian Development Bank (ADB) expert
said. Considering the pro- duce garbage still did not change and continue to arise, we
might end up as a country drowning in garbage.
Plastics clogging the water ways and streams especially the sewers canals, and
drainage have a huge tendency to cause many health implications to children and even
adults such as leptospirosis, influenza, cold and flu, infections to skin and other body
parts, and cholera. Such places may serve as habitats for insects and parasites carving
diseases like mosquito carrying dengue and Giardia Intestinalis, a parasite that can
cause diarrhea.
Despite of all environmental problems and garbage crisis, many organizations
including National Government Agencies (NGA’s) and Non-Government Organizations
(NGO) started to take actions and spread awareness about our nation's waste crisis.
A hope in our hands
Four R's and an E are ways that everybody can do. First R is to Reduce to efficiently
reduce plastic pollution, there is an evident need of reducing our usage of plastic. It
means changing our everyday behaviors, minimizing or not using plastic when there is a
better alternative and only use plastic when highly necessary.
Secord R is Reuse, plastic may cause pollution when poorly managed but it has
lots of advantages too, such as being resistant. Many plastic items can be reused or
used for different purposes. Before throwing plastic items it is important to consider how
they can be reused.
Third R is Recycle, plastic recycling consists of collecting plastic waste and
reprocessing it into new products to reduce the amount of plastic in waste streams. The
last R is Recover to convert waste into resources for example as electricity, heat,
compost, and fuel through thermal and biological means.
Resource Recovery occurs after reduce, reuse, and recycle have been attained.
The E stands for Educate another crucial solution is education in order to increase
awareness and behavioral change.
Implementing the 4 R’s and an E is a sure way to cure our country that is prone
to many health implications: Children and future generation would be likely the ones
who will suffer. Their health is our only while saving our mother earth.

A must future indeed

Environmental sustainability involves making decisions and taking action that are in the
interests of protecting the natural world, with particular emphasis on preserving the
capability of the environment to support human life.
The future we need to see is to achieve a sustainable and efficient ways to use of
raw material as a chemical engineering. We need to incorporate principles centered
towards in excellence of research and development with consideration on the effects in
nature.
Production of plastic goods may not stop, however, with current policies that
other company tried to established, a hope in our future is visible.
“A clean environment has a great health to offer.” With clean and healthy
environment, citizens will live in a healthy and strong. Future that we must see is indeed
in our hands so start the change today.