Project
Multi-pronged strategy to combat plastic waste in Guimaras
The 3RProMar programme highlighted the importance of residents' cooperation to a sustainable waste management strategy.
The past decade has seen a rise in waste generation — particularly plastic — among countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). With GOPA Tech, NIRAS supported a pilot programme held in an idyllic island-province in the Philippines that unearthed valuable lessons in building sustainable waste management systems.
October 16, 2025
- SDG: #11, #12, #13, #14
- SECTORS: Development Consulting
- COUNTRIES: Philippines
- DONOR: GIZ
- CONTRACT VALUE: EUR 249,815.91 (as subconsultant)
- DURATION: February 2023 to June 2025 (29 months)
- PROJECT MANAGERS: Lerna Melo Magdamo, Ghiela Selosa
Southeast Asia’s economic rise has lifted millions into prosperity, but it has also turned the region into one of the world’s hot spots for plastic pollution.
About 150 million tonnes of waste were generated in ASEAN in 2016, a figure expected to double by 2030. About 53% of this is plastic waste, driven by growing populations, rising consumer affluence, and the increasing ubiquity of plastic in everyday use.
When plastic waste leaks into the environment and breaks down into microplastics, it threatens critical ecosystems, ultimately degrading food sources and harming human health. In 2022, ASEAN countries — along with China, Japan, and Korea — accounted for more than one-third of the world’s total plastic waste leakage.
At the root of this problem is uneven waste management across the region. Inadequate recycling and landfilling exacerbate this problem, with current efforts usually undertaken by the informal sector toiling in unsafe and environmentally harmful conditions.
With this in mind, GIZ commissioned the 3R Programme to Protect the Marine Environment (3RproMar), which seeks to:
· Locally deliver tangible improvements on plastic waste management and marine waste reduction.
· Strengthen involved organisations and personnel through practical learning experiences.
· Generate knowledge on waste management for all ASEAN member-states.
Pilot programmes were conducted in Indonesia, Cambodia, Viet Nam, and the Philippines. GOPA Tech, with NIRAS as subcontractor, implemented the Philippine pilot in the province of Guimaras.
By the numbers
- 67 tonnes of municipal solid waste generated daily
- 0.351 kilograms of waste per person generated daily
- 16% of household waste is plastic
- 8.7% of waste collected daily across the province
Current situation
A detailed assessment of Guimaras’ municipal solid waste management (SWM) system, conducted at the pilot’s outset in 2023, highlighted the need for major improvement. Of the 67 tonnes of waste being generated daily, less than 13% were collected and, out of this, only 4.9 tonnes were recovered for various purposes and approximately 5.4 tonnes were disposed of per day.
Limited capacity and infrastructure, as well as inefficient operations, hamper waste collection and disposal in the province. Informal recyclers and waste management efforts among households are an important aspect of Guimaras’ waste collection practices.
Plastic leakage is an urgent concern: roughly half of Guimaras’ total annual plastic waste –about 2,100 tonnes – accumulates in backyards and informal dump sites and 230 tonnes leak into rivers and coastal areas.
Laying the groundwork
Armed with knowledge of the province’s SWM system, the first part of the pilot focussed on laying the groundwork for concrete solutions. Most notably, it involved the preparation of a pre-feasibility study for a landfill at Barangay Sapal. After a series of surveys, field studies, and other supporting documentation, an environmental compliance certificate was granted for the facility’s construction.
Meanwhile, a greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction study estimated that Guimaras’ SWM system released 5,939 tonnes of carbon dioxide, roughly the same as what more than 1000 cars can emit in a year, with open burning and uncollected waste on land seen as the root cause. Separate immediate and long-term plans were proposed to build a better SWM system, with each capable of cutting emissions by 44–57% through more intensive waste collection, phaseout of open burning, and adoption of new technologies.
Another outcome is a monitoring report, covering January 2024 to March 2025 and tracking interventions in 11 pilot barangays that sought to curb plastic waste leakage. It concluded that heightened community engagement, consistent communication campaigns, and intensified collection can lead to meaningful changes.
Cutting plastic waste
Zeroing in on plastic waste, assessments revealed that Guimaras had no consistent collection and sorting system. Only PET bottles were collected, but low demand from junk shops caused these to pile up on the island. Other types of plastics were not collected at all.
What proved necessary was expanded collection and processing of recyclables, along with heightened engagement with the informal waste sector. Three pilot interventions were implemented as a response:
- Separate plastic collection system: To widen reliable collection, a door-to-door collection using sidecar-laden tricycles was introduced in five barangays. It was not successful at first, impeded by limited budgets for dedicated drivers and collectors. Additional provisions for hiring personnel, a strengthened communication campaign, and increased monitoring and evaluation efforts were implemented as a response.
- Integration of private contractors: To create a stable market for various plastic types, local governments partnered with Evergreen Labs Philippines Consulting Inc. By March 2025, this partnership — with plastic traded for PHP 4-per-kilogram credits — had moved 38.6 tonnes of plastic out of Guimaras that would have otherwise gone uncollected.
- Production of plastic lumber: An idle recycling facility donated by the Environmental Management Bureau, originally designed to turn waste into school chairs, was repurposed to produce plastic lumber. Extensive trials showed that the facility could produce plastic lumber at competitive prices, opening opportunities for a new local industry in Guimaras; however, continued research and testing will still be needed.
Building local capacity
To equip local officials and stakeholders in charge of local efforts to reduce plastic waste, the pilot programme organised training on:
- Measuring waste: Tools to track waste flows and plastic leakage, such as the Waste Assessment and Characterization Tool (WaCT) methodology, for better planning.
- Climate impact: Understanding GHG emissions in waste collection and how to reduce them.
- Day-to-day operations: Tips on data management, route planning, collection, and monitoring.
- Making it sustainable: Exploring financially sound SWM systems.
- Policy change: Drafting effective ordinances to reduce single-use plastics, especially at the protected Taklong Island Marine Reserve.
Involving the informal sector
From garbage truck drivers and collectors to sorters and segregators, the informal waste sector is the backbone of the Guimaras SWM system. Across the province, the pilot programme identified 45 workers who often work up to six days a week, have no insurance or benefits, and live near landfills that expose them to health issues. About 80% of this number were men, with women being largely confined to marginal roles. To integrate them into the larger waste collection system, the pilot programme:
- Held discussions about organising waste workers and connecting junk shops to the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System;
- Provided personal protecting equipment to waste workers in the local government;
- Trained workers on occupational safety and health;
- Bridged the government and private waste sector; and
- Coordinated with other informal sectors, such as farmers and fishers, to take responsibility of waste from their industries.
Post-campaign results
Seeking to understand what worked and what did not, a survey done after the campaign pointed out the following:
- Barangay officials were the biggest driver of success, heightening awareness and encouraging compliance among their neighbours.
- The simplified plastic categories and widespread distribution of more than 10,000 materials helped reinforce changes in behaviour.
- While the campaign name was not often recalled, locals found the music used by collectors more remarkable. Further recommended was the creation of a jingle to accompany the campaign.
Changing behaviours
The circular economy can only take root when people are deeply engaged in the environment and its connection with their lives. As such, changing behaviour and consumption patterns is a key tenet of the pilot programme. Thankfully, Guimaras residents already exhibit a good understanding of the 3R (reduce, reuse, recycle) principles. A baseline assessment of households showed that they were aware of municipal and national regulations on waste management, and they understood the importance of waste recycling and reuse.
Building on an existing province plastic ordinance campaign named “Plastik Anay ‘ta”, the programme designed plastic segregation campaign materials to be deployed in conjunction with its other interventions. Behavioural change principles were utilised in designing the campaign, and various incentives were also developed for exchanging plastic waste.
Noteworthy is how the campaign used the local Hiligaynon language and how it simplified the various types of plastics into three categories: soft, hard, and PET. From large posters serving as signage in recovery facilities to thousands of fan-shaped leaflets, the campaign extolled the virtues of reducing plastic waste and supporting the circular economy through the 3R principle.
Lessons learned
The 3RproMar pilot in Guimaras proved the effectiveness of a multi-pronged strategy in improving waste management. At its heart, the programme sought to engage every Guimarasnon in building better SWM practices, a small yet crucial step toward a greener future. Its combination of infrastructure improvements, targeted interventions, and intensive information campaigns was judged successful in this regard. Moving forward, 3RproMar recommended the following:
- Improve institutional support: From bureaucratic inefficiencies to insufficient budgets, the different levels of government in Guimaras will be hard-pressed to maintain current plastic waste reduction efforts. Additional budgetary support and continued interaction with the private sector are key.
- Unburden barangays: Local districts cannot do these interventions consistently on their own. One key recommendation is to outsource SWM services at the municipal level rather than relying on village-level strategies, along with streamlining successful incentive programmes across the whole province.
- Continue campaigns: To consistently change behaviour over the long run, the project recommended hiring local designers and photographers to mount a continuous campaign. It also reiterated the importance of consistent and accurate messaging across all levels of government and direct engagement with the people to boost participation.
