MANILA: Philippine environmental groups are calling for immediate policy reform after official data showed that the country’s annual hazardous waste levels increased to more than 269,000 metric tonnes annually, fueling concern over public health threats.

The Philippines’ toxic waste generation increased by 13 percent last year from about 238,000 metric tonnes in 2023, with oil comprising about one-third of the total, according to data published by the Philippine Statistics Authority last week.

Though it is one of the lowest volumes recorded based on figures compiled since 2015, the latest data set showed that the Philippines is producing hazardous waste at a faster rate compared to the development of waste management infrastructure.

Despite the number of trash processing facilities and sanitary landfills increasing in 2024 by about 8.7 percent and 14.7 percent, respectively, the number of reported illegal dumps rose by 84 percent in the same year.

“It’s still alarming because the infrastructure can’t catch up,” Jashaf Shamir Lorenzo, head of policy development and research at BAN Toxics, told Arab News on Thursday.

The rising number of illegal dumps concerns observers as the sites usually involve open burning or the burying of hazardous waste underground.

“There is a big health and environmental impact here for everyone … all of these harmful chemicals that could lead to various health issues like neurodevelopmental issues, cancer … (they) increase the risk of communities around them getting these diseases,” Lorenzo said.

“I think (the sites are) also a reflection of the number of wastes that we are really generating that other cities can’t handle. But also, it calls for the need for the government to pay attention to the protection of these communities.”

While the Philippine government has made efforts over the years to improve waste management in the country, environmentalists like Lorenzo say there is still room for improvement.

This includes preventing the illegal waste trade, as the Philippines has been a major destination for such exports over the years, including shipments of toxic chemical waste intended for dumping.  

“A lot of the waste coming into the country, historically, has been hazardous waste traded by other countries into us. I think the government should really push for policies that limit hazardous waste coming in,” Lorenzo said.

He is also urging the government to “look at other solutions on waste reduction,” including by installing reuse and refill systems across the country.

The increasing volume of waste in the Philippines is “not surprising,” said Greenpeace Philippines campaigner Marian Ledesma, who is also pushing for policies focused on reducing waste.

“Downstream approaches like waste management simply cannot cope with increasing patterns of production and consumption … the government must enact policies that reduce or prevent waste from the start,” she said.

This includes banning the commercial use of harmful chemical groups in products, phasing out single-use products and packaging like plastics, and regulating hazardous chemicals.

“While the country is taking steps toward better and sustainable waste management, it can improve on upstream measures that prevent or reduce waste generation,” Ledesma said.

“Upstream approaches like cutting production and phase-outs or bans are necessary, have clear benefits for communities and are more cost-effective in the long term.”