According to a study conducted on five focus countries, including the Philippines, less than 20% of leakage originates from ocean-based sources such as fisheries and fishing vessels, while more than 80% of ocean plastic originates from land-based sources. Around 75% of the leakage from land-based sources comes from uncollected waste, with the remaining 25% coming from within the waste management system itself. Improper dumping, as well as formal and informal dumpsites that are poorly located or lack proper controls, can all contribute to post-collection leakage (Ocean Conservancy and McKinsey, 2017).

This technical guideline was developed to prevent plastics and resin leakage into the marine environment by promoting best practices at recycling facilities in Manila and Iloilo City, Philippines.

This guidelines is published by the Regional Resource Centre for Asia and the Pacific (RRC.AP) of the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) with support from ERIA's Regional Knowledge Centre for Marine Plastic Debris under the project "Development and Dissemination of Technical Guidelines for Plastics and Resin Pellets Leakage Prevention from Factories and Informal Recycling Sector in the ASEAN".