Circularity Assessment Protocol Manila, Philippines

Circularity Informatics Lab – Jambeck Research Group University of Georgia in Collaboration with Save Our Philippine Seas

Authors: Jenna Jambeck, Taylor Maddalene, Madison Werner, Kathryn Youngblood, Anna
Oposa, Harvey Perello, Connor Keisling

Executive Summary

Developed by the Circularity Informatics Lab at the University of Georgia, the Circularity Assessment Protocol (CAP) is a standardized assessment protocol to inform decisionmakers through collecting community-level data on plastic usage and management. Grounded in materials flow and systems thinking concepts, the CAP uses a hub-andspoke model to holistically characterize how consumer plastics flow into a community, are consumed, and flow out, either through waste management systems or leakage into the environment. The model, shown below, is comprised of seven spokes: input, community, material and product design, use, collection, end of cycle, and leakage. At the center, the system is driven by policy, economics and governance with key influencers including non-governmental organizations, industry and government.

Between January and March 2021, a team from Save Philippine Seas (SPS) in Metro Manila, which served as the local implementing partner (LIP) for this project [the UGA team was unable to travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic] with guidance and support from the Circularity Informatics Lab, conducted fieldwork in three cities within Metro Manila, Philippines. The CAP was conducted with support from the city’s local government and local USAID contractor and Municipal Waste Recycling Program implementer, DIG. Field work included product and packaging assessments in stores across the city; key stakeholder interviews with government, industry, and non-profit organizations; material type characterizations for consumer plastic items; cost analysis of reusable products and alternatives to plastic available in the city; visual audits of recycling contamination; identification of public waste and recycling collection bins;
and litter transects in three categories of population. Key findings from each spoke are summarized in the following table.

Input	There is a mix of local and international sources for plastic manufacturers. All international companies have local distributors, which provides an opportunity to engage the local counterparts for proper collection, alternate delivery systems, and education campaigns.
Community	There is a general acknowledgement and recognition of Metro Manila’s plastic pollution crisis. Respondents from dining establishments, stores, and local governments have mixed reactions to a proposal for a single-use plastic ban, citing cost implications and lack of alternatives and resources as barriers for implementation.
Product Design	The majority of the product packaging from dining establishments and stores were designed to be single-use (e.g., to-go cups and utensils, plastic bags, sachets). In recent years, governments, the private sector, and civil society organizations have promoted the switch to paper-based packaging and reusable bags.
Use	The majority of the product packaging from dining establishments and stores came in single-use plastic packaging and in multi-layer film. Volumes of single-use plastic packaging increased due to impacts of COVID-19 (e.g., prohibition of dining in, food delivery services, and concerns for crosscontamination). Plastic bags and glass and plastic containers (PET) are commonly reused, but multilayer film used for household goods are disposed of.
Collection	The waste collection rate in Metro Manila is reportedly at 85%. These services are free for all Metro Manila residential and commercial areas as part of the government mandate. Compliance to the “no segregation, no collection” provision under the national law remains low.
End of Cycle	Metro Manila lacks waste management infrastructure, which contributes to the leakage of solid wastes into the environment. Increasing segregation at the source could significantly curb the amount of waste leakage.
Leakage	The majority of litter items collected through the Marine Debris Tracker app were food plastics and tobacco products. These items have low to no value for collection and recycling. This data can inform policy change, specifically Extended Producer Responsibility.

Read the full report here.