THEOLOGY 1

1 AR-8

Arante, Carlos Antonio Dalangin, Francpoe Javin

Bigasin, Vonn Andrei Magdael, Josh

Genesis 2:15 "And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to
keep it."

The world currently generates 300 million tonnes of plastic waste each year, without the capacity,
infrastructure and collective willpower needed to sustainably manage it. Plastic packaging, for example,
comprises 40% of global plastic production – a staggering 161 million tonnes of bottles, bags, takeaway
boxes and other materials created for what is likely a single use. Every year, about 8 million tons of
plastic waste escapes into the oceans from coastal nations. That’s the equivalent of setting five garbage
bags full of trash on every foot of coastline around the world. Plastics often contain additives making
them stronger, more flexible, and durable. But many of these additives can extend the life of products if
they become litter, with some estimates ranging to at least 400 years to break down. Production
increased exponentially, from 2.3 million tons in 1950 to 448 million tons by 2015. Production is
expected to double by 2050.

Organic waste comprise more than 60% of household waste in the Philippines. This confirms that
organic waste management is an important strategy that will create substantial waste reduction for
local governments. Almost 164 million pieces of sachets are used in the Philippines daily, which equates
to around 59.8 billion pieces of sachets yearly. With the absence of policies mandating liability and
accountability for the production of this problematic waste stream, cities and municipalities are left to
deal with this problem using taxpayers’ money. While more attention should be given to ensure the
reusability of packaging and products, it is important to acknowledge that within current waste
management systems, recycling plays an important role in several ways: in supporting livelihoods of
millions of people around the world, as a potential source of income for households through the sale of
recyclables, and in reducing the need for raw materials extraction by recovering precious finite
resources and putting these back into production.

The best way to solve the world’s plastic pollution crisis is to produce less plastic. Recycling is often
touted by the plastic industry and corporations as the primary solution to address the plastic crisis, but
in reality recycling is not enough to address the enormous amount of plastic waste existing in the
environment. More than 50% of all unrecyclable plastic residual waste analysed is branded waste. In the
WABAs conducted, 10 companies are responsible for 60% of all branded waste, and four multinational
companies are responsible for 36% of all branded waste. This highlights the need for interventions that
mandate manufacturers to take responsibility for their plastic waste, primarily by drastically reducing
production of throwaway plastic packaging.

Hughes, K., Global Plastic Action Partnership, Executive Committee, & World Economic Forum Geneva.
(2019, September 24). 3 ways we are making an impact on plastic pollution. Retrieved from
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/09/we-created-an-initiative-to-fight-plastic-waste-here-are-3-
takeaways-from-our-first-year/.
Parker, L. (2019, June 7). The world's plastic pollution crisis explained. Retrieved from
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/habitats/plastic-pollution/.

Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA). (2019, July 07). Plastics exposed: How Waste
Assessments and Brand Audits are Helping Philippine Cities Fight Plastic Pollution. Retrieved from
https://www.no-burn.org/plastics-exposed/