The Philippines is ranking third among contributors to ocean plastic waste leakage, following China and Indonesia, who hold the first and second positions, respectively. This amounts to a staggering 0.28-0.75 million tons per year (Jambeck et al., 2015). The primary drivers behind these alarming statistics include the burgeoning numbers of consumers, influenced by factors such as economic status and population growth, alongside a shift toward increased single-use plastic consumption.

This study aims to examine the current status of plastic waste management in the Philippines, particularly the landscape of plastic waste recycling in Manila and Iloilo City. It aims to identify existing gaps related to plastic leakage, with a focus on the informal sector.

This report 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".