DAVAO CITY - Environmental groups here are calling for the banning of single-use plastics here after almost 2,000 different types of solid wastes were collected in a recent river clean-up.

In a statement Friday, January 28, the Interface Development Interventions (IDIS) and Bantay Bukid volunteers said they were able to collect a total of 1,954 pieces of waste in the river clean-up and brand audit last January 27at the Panigan-Tamugan Watershed in Baguio District here.
"With this alarming result of river clean-up, IDIS and other environmental groups once again call for the ban of single-use plastics in Davao City," they said.

The groups said most of the collected wastes were food packaging, plastic bottles, and household products packaging. The group also said they have collected empty bottles of pesticides.

The brand audit involved the "counting and documenting the brands found on plastic waste collected during the clean-up to help identify the companies responsible for plastic pollution."

The groups identified popular consumer brands whose products ended up as waste in the river.

Juan Lumpit, a Bantay Bukid volunteer from Barangay Wines, said they found out that the problem of plastic wastes ending up in the river was serious.

“Basi sa among aktibidades na mao ang river clean-up ug paglista sa mga nagkadaiyang basura nga plastic nga napunitan, among nasuta nga grabe gayod ang problema diri sa kasapaan (Based on our river clean-up and brand audit on various plastic wastes we collected, we found out that the problem on waste in the rivers is serious)," he said.

"Dapat unta adunay lig-on nga polisiya aron mabawasan ang paggamit og plastic labi na sa mga dagkong kompanya. Among ipahimangno nga tagaan kini og pagtagad kay ang tubig sa Panigan-Tamugan kay maong ilimnon sa dakbayan sa sumusunod (There must be a strong policy to lessen the use of plastics especially on the part of big companies. This must be looked into because the water in Panigan-Tamugan will be a source of drinking water in the future),” Juan Lumpit from Brgy. Wines, Bantay Bukid Volunteer, said.

Meanwhile, Mavic Hilario, IDIS Program Coordinator, said “more than the plastics, we are alarmed that we found bottles of pesticides in the rivers.”

Hilario said they were urging those who were using pesticides, “especially those whose areas are near rivers” to bury the empty containers.

“Or better yet practice organic farming to protect our rivers and watersheds,” Hilario added.

The group called on the City Council to “urgently tackle” the proposed ordinance to ban the use of single-use plastics in the city.

"While the banning of single-use plastics ordinance has been into several committee hearings, it could have been better if the City Council will urgently tackle this matter and pass this ordinance now," the group added.

The groups conducted the river clean-up in celebration of Zero Waste Month this January.