Philippines must stand for a strong plastics treaty

As the fifth and final session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) to develop a Global Plastics Treaty resumes, our nation faces a critical moment. The stakes are clear: our health, climate, biodiversity, food and oceans are on the line. Will the treaty curb the plastic pollution crisis threatening Filipino communities, or will it bow to the pressure of oil-producing states and the plastic industry? For the Philippines, a strong treaty means maintaining and strengthening its position in pushing for bold policies to reduce plastic production and protect vulnerable communities.

Filipinos have been bearing the brunt of plastic pollution, even as production continues to rise. Filipino scientists have found microplastics in fish, the country’s waters and even the air we breathe. Meanwhile, communities near plastic production and disposal sites are disproportionately affected, suffering from respiratory diseases and exposure to toxic pollutants.

Managing the worsening plastic problem is also depleting the country’s resources and straining capacity, with local governments already overwhelmed by the sheer volume of plastic waste. They already spend a significant portion of their budgets on waste management, yet every year, the volume of plastic waste continues to rise. The Philippine Extended Producer Responsibility Law is supposed to hold plastic-producing corporations accountable, but instead of giving clear reduction targets, the law only mandates waste recovery and management.

The root cause of the plastic pollution crisis remains unaddressed: the overproduction of plastic products and packaging, which has reached 460 million metric tons a year. Without a drastic cut in plastic production and bans on single-use plastic, our health, environment and economy will continue to suffer.

At INC-5, the Philippines has a chance to demand more than just downstream waste management measures. We need upstream solutions to drive down relentless and unregulated plastic production, largely driven by corporations’ reliance on single-use plastics. A treaty that mandates production cuts, single-use plastic phaseouts and a just transition to reuse and refill systems protects both the people and the planet, while simultaneously creating sustainable economic opportunities such as new markets around reuse systems, generating green jobs, and enabling savings from reduced material inputs among others.

The Philippine delegation, led by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, has already supported science-based production reduction targets in earlier negotiations. This position is critical, as failure to reduce plastic production will exacerbate the climate crisis. In 2019 alone, global plastic production contributed 2.24 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions – more than five percent of total global emissions. For a climate-vulnerable country like ours, reducing plastic production is a crucial step in addressing climate change.

A recent survey showed that 94 percent of Filipinos support a strong Global Plastics Treaty that mandates cuts in plastic production. Our government must listen to its people and stand firm against attempts by industry lobbyists and oil-producing nations to water down the treaty. We cannot afford to let the treaty become another missed opportunity, burdening communities and all Filipinos in favor of corporate plastic polluters.

INC-5 is our last stand. A strong treaty ensures healthier communities and a future where Filipinos are no longer trapped in an unjust, toxic system designed for disposability. The world is watching, and it’s time for governments to deliver.

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Marian Ledesma, Zero Waste Campaigner of Greenpeace Philippines, has participated in all of the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations as one of the Greenpeace International delegates and an NGO observer.