Colorful decorations, fun activities, and overflowing food have always been essentials in every Filipino fiesta—but amid all the celebrations, have you ever thought about the amount of plastic waste being produced during these occasions?

In its recent call following the Feast of Sto. Niño, environmental watchdog EcoWaste Coalition urged local government officials and church authorities in the country to take "immediate action" in lessening plastic waste during fiestas; including the "unregulated practice of hanging banderitas fashioned mostly out of new single-use plastics".

“While we applaud some neighborhoods for opting not to join the wasteful bandwagon, we are saddened by the needless use of single-use plastic banderitas as citizens rejoice in honor of the Child Jesus unmindful of the plastic pollution crisis in our midst,” said EcoWaste Coordinator Aileen Lucero.

The group renewed its call to halt the wasteful practice of hanging throw-away plastic buntings after Pandacan and Tondo communities celebrated Sto. Niño's feast last January 15, which falls on the Zero Waste Month this January as per Proclamation 760, series of 2014.

To note, following the group’s Basura Patrollers' monitoring, plastic “labo", plastic sando bags, and other plastic strips and scraps in the banderitas were found in the streets and alleys of Pandacan and Tondo. Among the places found extremely decorated with disposable banderitas, especially new plastic “labo”, were Kahilom and Narciso Streets in Pandacan, and portions of Corcuera, Franco, Lakandula, Pavia, Perla, Madrid, Mejorada, Nicodemus, Pacheco, Pilapil, Sto. Cristo, Tioco and Trinidad Rizal Streets, among others, in Tondo.

“These banderitas have no artistic, functional, historical or spiritual value," Lucero reminded.

"Worst, they contribute to the tons of fiesta garbage to be hauled after the occasion, consisting mostly of single-use plastics and other unsorted discards, including food waste," she went on.

The group also questioned the need for “happy fiesta” plastic tarpaulins, "which only contribute to the street clutter and litter" and “may even contain toxic chemical additives such as cadmium, a cancer-causing substance.”

With these garbage concerns, the EcoWaste called on local government and church officials to back a citywide ban on single-use plastic banderitas in all festivities "for the sake of Mother Earth, which is already choking on waste and plastic".

“Our community celebrations, especially those inspired by our diverse faith and culture as a people, should be compatible with our role as stewards of Mother Earth," Lucero pointed out.

"By consuming responsibly and opting for things that can be safely used and reused, we help bring down the ballooning volume of plastic garbage, as well as prevent the release of plastic debris, microplastics and plastic chemical additives contaminating the environment, the food chain and our bodies," she added.

Meanwhile, the EcoWaste also pushed for the active implementation of Manila City Ordinance 8282; which bans the use of plastic bags for dry goods and regulating their use for wet goods, as well as polystyrene plastic as containers for food, produce, and other products.

The group believes that the ordinance will help reduce the volume of garbage generated by the City of Manila, which is projected to increase from 418,507 metric tons in 2022 to 421,772 metric tons in 2023, according to the website of the National Solid Waste Management Commission.