Food wraps, packaging top polluters at Panigan-Tamugan Watershed

FOOD wrapping or packaging accounted for more than half of the total wastes gathered by environmental non-government organizations (NGOs) at the Panigan-Tamugan Watershed in Baguio District, Davao City.

On September 26, 2020, Break Free from Plastics, Ecowaste Coalition and Sustainable Davao Movement, the Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (Idis) Inc., Bantay Bukid and Bantayo Aweg volunteers gathered 1,713 pieces of plastics with different types like sachets, bottles, cans, cigarette butts, pesticide containers and face masks during a cleanup drive and solid waste audit at the watershed.

"It's alarming to have this volume of plastic wastes collected in just a few hours given that the area is in the upland," Chinkie T. Peliño-Golle, executive director of Idis, told SunStar Davao in an online interview.

A brand audit was conducted after they gathered solid wastes.

In a press statement, Idis said, "brand auditing involves counting and documenting the brands found on plastic waste collected during the cleanup to help identify the companies responsible for plastic pollution."

Based on their findings, food wraps and packaging comprised 67 percent of the 1,713 pieces of plastic waste they gathered from the cleanup drive. These are mainly food wraps and packaging of junk food, candies, soft drinks and biscuits.

Detergent, shampo and chemical sachets or pouch accounted for 12 percent of the wastes gathered while plastic bottles and cups accounted for 10 percent.

"The lower percentile amounts (1 to 2 percent) are found residual wastes that include cans, sanitary napkins, diapers, cigarette butts, plastic bags, glass bottles, gloves, face masks, slippers, straws and others," Idis said in a statement.

Peliño-Golle said they also collected face masks but only "very minimal in amount." She said they were careful with the face masks they collected due to possible health risks.

The brand audit also showed that Rebisco accounted for 13 percent or 220 pieces of the 1,713 pieces of plastics collected during the cleanup drive. The plastic wastes of Rebisco are mostly food packaging of its biscuits.

Rebisco is followed by W.L Foods (131 pieces), Universal Robina Corporation (120 pieces), Coca-Cola (108 pieces) and Nestle (95 pieces). Rounding up the top 10 brands are NutriAsia (81 pieces), Oishi (65 pieces), Regent (65 pieces), Unilever (65 pieces) and Monde Nissin (62 pieces).

It can be noted that nine out of the top 10 brands with the most wastes, based on the brand audit, are food manufacturers.

"In the total audit, the middle to low percentile range still includes known companies such as Procter & Gamble, Zest-O, Colgate-Palmolive, Philip Morris, San Miguel Corp, Selecta, Johnson & Johnson. These were found to have less than 60 pieces (4 percent and below)," Idis said.

Unknown brands accounted for 11 percent of the total audit.

"Both food packages and the tracked manufacturing companies contributed the highest amount of solid wastes in the overall brand audit," Idis said.

"Plastic wastes dumped into the rivers will not be decomposed for hundreds of years and will pollute our rivers and eventually will go into the ocean and affect the marine ecosystems," Peliño-Golle said.

She added the Panigan-Tamugan Watershed is one of the most important watersheds in Davao City since it will soon supply the needed water for the Dabawenyos. At present, Apo Agua Infrastructura, Inc. and the Davao City Water District are in the middle of the construction of the P12.6-billion Davao City Bulk Water Supply Project (DCBWSP). Its main source is the Tamugan River.

In a bid to lower the number of plastic wastes getting into the watershed, Idis and environment NGOs are calling on local government authorities "to enforce regulations and ensure proper waste management in the area" and the enactment and implementation of environmental policies.

Environmental NGOs are also urging the City Council of Davao to enact the banning of single-use plastics in the city. They are also pushing for the full implementation of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Ordinance under the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.

Other recommendations include shifting to sachet material alternatives, biodegradable or paper-based sachets and programs/initiatives on bulk selling such refilling stations or refilling sari-sari stores.

"Idis and other NGOs also urge the public to properly dispose of their garbage and avoid using single-use plastics. Such small efforts are a big help to conserve and protect the environment," Idis said.