There’s no denying that Filipino’s lifestyle, habits and consumption patterns have radically changed after six months into the community quarantine due to coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). As we are compelled to stay at home, we have relied more on deliveries for food, online shopping, and other essentials — posing additional environmental challenges because of our increased municipal solid waste (MSW) and hazardous waste.
Even before the pandemic, the Philippines has been navigating through overwhelming volume of waste. According to a 2015 report by the Ocean Conservancy and McKinsey Center for Business and Environment, the Philippines ranks third among the world’s highest contributors to the global marine plastic pollution problem.