THE European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines and social fintech Plastic Bank are pushing for a full overhaul of the country's waste management system.
They said that should be treated as a resource recovery opportunity, not just a disposal problem, that requires end-to-end transformation.
Plastic Bank founder and CEO David Katz pushed for a fundamental shift in perspective regarding waste and community engagement.
I don't think we have a waste problem; I think we have a resource recovery opportunity," he said.
Race to Zero campaign lead Dawn Cabigon, meanwhile, said: "We cannot solve waste in the current system that we have; it has to be in a green economy. It needs new systems, technologies, solutions, mindset, and behavioral change through an end-to-end approach.
With a projected super El Niño, Katz highlighted how weak recycling infrastructure worsens flood risks during extreme weather events.
"We witness the flooding that occurs in locations like Jakarta, where the waterways so clogged with plastic it leads to flooding," he said.
"We can see that in a super El Niño and we're anticipating even more water in our communities that having discarded materials prohibit the easy flow of water and other resources that need to be delivered to communities."
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