Marilyn Cahatol

‘Dangerous, costly misstep’: Environmental group opposes Marcos’ waste-to-energy plans

Article (news)

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17866039181361786603915705.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Clean-up operations at the Redemptorist Water Channel, August 11, 2026. <em>Jessie Cruzat, ABS-CBN News </em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — The waste-to-energy facilities President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the government is considering are dangerous and would create a heavy financial burden, an environmental group said Thursday. </p><p>Following the heavy rains brought by the southwest monsoon or habagat that exposed a “sea of garbage” in Metro Manila, Marcos said that the administration is looking at establishing <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/12/marcos-says-garbage-problem-critical-eyes-waste-to-energy-plants-1318">waste-to-energy plants </a>in the country to address the garbage problem. </p><p>He had also mentioned waste-to-energy plants in his State of the Nation Address in July.</p><p>Environmental group Greenpeace Philippines objected to the plan, saying the facilities are a “dangerous, costly misstep” and would not stop plastics from choking waterways. </p><p>The waste-to-energy program aims to convert waste into electricity through incineration, which the group said would “release carcinogenic dioxins, toxic ash, and greenhouse gases—all while creating an insatiable financial demand for the very disposable materials we need to eliminate.”</p><div> </div><div><strong>LESS PLASTIC USE</strong></div><p>Greenpeace Philippines instead urged the government to tackle the crisis at its source by declaring sachets and other problematic plastics as non-environmentally acceptable products (NEAP) under the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act (RA 9003).</p><p>It said the government should institutionalize affordable and accessible refill and reuse systems across public markets, sari-sari stores, supermarkets, and government procurement.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/9/in-flood-prone-malabon-refill-system-turns-everyday-shopping-into-a-zero-waste-solution-1223">In flood-prone Malabon, refill system turns everyday shopping into a zero-waste solution<br/></a></div><p>The government was also encouraged to strengthen the Extended Producer Responsibility Act by enforcing mandatory plastic-reduction targets for corporations, aside from the already imposed plastic recovery targets. </p><p>The group also suggested that communities and local governments implement local initiatives, such as composting, material-recovery facilities, trash traps and fair wages and protection for waste workers.</p><p>Government agencies and LGUs have conducted a large-scale cleanup and inspection across Metro Manila following the recent heavy rains. Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon said the country is now facing a <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/11/-garbage-crisis-cleanup-intensified-as-trash-overwhelms-redemptorist-channel-in-para-aque-0947">“garbage crisis.”  </a></p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/weather-traffic/2026/8/9/mmda-rain-volume-in-recent-days-too-much-for-metro-s-creeks-waterways-0915">MMDA: Rain volume in recent days too much for metro&#x27;s creeks, waterways</a></div><p>Greenpeace said that while cleanups are necessary as an emergency response, &quot;dredging waterways and scooping trash out of the water will never fix a crisis fueled by corporations flooding our markets with unmanageable, single-use plastic products.&quot;</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BW3wlM9WOJY?si=wfYZOgI27-KnH6mL" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>The waste-to-energy facilities President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the government is considering are “dangerous” and would create a heavy financial burden, an environmental group said Thursday.</p>

The waste-to-energy facilities President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the government is considering are “dangerous” and would create a heavy financial burden, an environmental group said Thursday.