Plastic waste and its spread in the environment has received increasing attention in recent years. Nevertheless, global plastic production is increasing by around 3% every year, and with it, environmental pollution. In the Philippines, one challenge is that many people live in small communities on the coast and these are not connected to a regular waste collection system. As a result, some of the waste produced is not disposed of properly and ends up in the sea. Waste in the Philippines also contributes to the increasing plastic pollution of the oceans and destabilises ecosystems. Another problem is the clogging of urban drainage systems with waste, which increases the risk of flooding, especially during typhoons. There is therefore a great requirement to improve waste management in the Philippines. This also offers the opportunity to improve the income situation of women in the sector, who often collect and recycle waste for very low wages.
The objective of the project is to strengthen waste management in Bacolod City and to promote women in the waste sector in order to generate higher incomes for them. The "Waste Flow Diagram" digital tool developed by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit together with universities and NGOs will initially be used to identify the existing waste flows into the sea and the environment in Bacolod City, with a particular focus on leakages. Plastic waste will be collected as an example to determine its market value. In cooperation with the city government of Bacolod City, management strategies for dealing with plastic leakages and a general waste management plan are being developed. The new legal framework in the Philippines has created additional business opportunities for waste collectors. In order to successfully benefit from these, a workshop is being held with waste pickers to develop income models for the new framework conditions. These will be tested within the project for their sustainability in implementation, especially with regard to the income situation of women.