Plastic pollution is no longer just a buzzword; it is a critical global problem affecting oceans, wildlife, and human health. While brands and marketing pushes us to consume with the underlying promise that the waste will be taken care of, perfectly recycled, and not add up to the problem... We ask, where does all the plastic on the beach and ocean come from then?
The Plastic Industry: A Brief Overview
The rise of the plastic industry since the mid-20th century has changed the way we consume products. Plastic is affordable, lightweight, and durable, leading to its widespread use in everything from packaging and toys to clothing.
Yet, this convenience comes with a significant cost. The production of plastic is energy-intensive, relying heavily on fossil fuels contributing to climate change. And plastic's main advantage, its durability, poses issue for disposal. At date, recycling a world-scale level, is a myth, and most of the plastic ever created, is still laying somewhere here polluting the environment. Approximately 8 million metric tons of plastic enter the oceans each year, causing severe harm to marine ecosystems and wildlife. It's estimated that by 2025, the oceans could contain one ton of plastic for every three tons of fish.
Read more on this topic: here
Beach Cleanups
At CRCP, we conduct weekly beach clean up with our volunteers and who ever would like to join. We love Beach cleanups for multiple reasons. Participating in a beach cleanup not only tackles some of the problem at hand but mostly educates volunteers about the scale of plastic pollution. People often leave these events with a personal commitment to reduce their plastic consumption.
In Siquijor, the winds and waves affect one side of the island per season, washing ashore kilos and kilos of plastics every day from nearby islands and further places, affecting our local environment and its precious wildlife. We try to target the most affected beaches per seasons in order to help mitigate the impact and avoid this waste to fall and harm the precious local coral reefs. Each single debris removed from the beach, may save a coral, may save an endangered turtle, and this matters.
This year, we decided to push our commitment a bit further by starting to consistently audit the waste we collect to understand where does it comes from, its abundance, type, and try to find solution to minimize it.
Are you curious?
Already 6889 pieces of marine debris collected (188kilos) since the beginning of the year
And this, is what we collected in 3 beach clean up only (we are just starting February after all... ).
98% of the waste collected (in units) on the beaches of Siquijor is composed of various type of plastics. From Hard plastic, Soft Plastics and Foam, more than 6700 pieces of plastic were collected since 2025.
Soft plastic represents the majority of the waste collected (54%) with an impressive amount of bags and sachets being washed ashore every day...
On the beach, our most common findings are
Plastic Bottles and Caps: One of the most frequent pollutants found on beaches, it can take up to 450 years for these to decompose.
In only 3 beach clean up, we collected more than 700 plastic bottles and more than 1095 bottle caps!!!
Food Packaging: Snack wrappers and takeaway containers are persistently found cluttering our shores, where they can persist for decades. We collected more than 1400 single-use food / drinks sachets, almost 500 single-use bags to store ice, 190 single-use food and candy containers, 174 single use plastic cups and 65 straws. That sums it up to 2329 plastic items who have been used 1 one time but will each take between at least 20 years (for a sachet) to 450 years (plastic cup) to disappear.
Personal hygiene products: These items, such as shampoo sachets, detergent sachets or cotton bud sticks, often used just once, make up a significant portion of beach litter and contribute to marine habitat pollution.
Diapers and sanitary pads: In 3 beach clean ups only, we already collected 65 used diapers. Disposable diapers last up to 500 years.
Fishing Gear: Abandoned nets and lines, often referred to as "ghost gear," trap and kill marine and terrestrial life, posing an ongoing danger to biodiversity.
Cigarette Butts: Surprisingly, these are among the most littered items worldwide, and they leach toxic chemicals into the environment for over 10 years after disposal. And yes, cigarette filters = plastic.
These are our most common items so far. Curious to see the full details and numbers ? You may visit CRCP's website page with our open data portal where you can see the full details and number increase as we keep on our weekly efforts.
Why are we doing this?
Understanding what we encounter on our beaches can guide us in addressing the root causes of plastic pollution. CRCP's hope in doing this is to raise awareness on the issue we are facing with clear unbiased data, and together with community and government try to find local solutions.
Meanwhile, as individuals: What Can We Do?
Confronting plastic pollution requires both personal efforts and community action. Here are some actionable steps everyone can take:
Reduce Single-Use Plastics: Switching to reusable bags, bottles, and containers are easy and accessible, it may not seem as much, but again, think of the 159 plastic bags and 1270 bottles and single-use drinking containers we collected this month. It matters, and are the easiest alternatives to adopt.
Participate in Cleanups: Join local beach cleanup initiatives or organize one in your area. This not only addresses the issue but also raises awareness within the community.
Educate Yourself and Others: Knowledge is a powerful tool. Share what you learn about plastic pollution and its effects on ecosystems with friends and family.
Support Sustainable Brands: We always advocate to minimize consumption, step out of the rat race of constantly buying new products that end up a waste item. But of course, sometimes, we do need to purchase new. So when you do, choose products made from eco-friendly materials, even better offer zero waste option, and support companies that follow sustainable practices. This helps create demand for better alternatives.
Advocate for Policy Change: Get involved in efforts that encourage stricter regulations on plastic production and improved waste management systems.
Looking for more resources on fighting plastic?
You may head to our resource page on fighting plastic and even dare to take a quiz to calculate your own plastic footprint.
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