Abstract

The Let’s Clean Up, PH! 2023 Waste Count Report documents the waste collection and waste-counting activities conducted through Let’s Clean Up, Philippines!: A Movement for a Waste-conscious Philippines, a nationwide cleanup initiative organized by Proyekto Philippines in support of World Cleanup Day. The initiative aimed to promote public awareness on responsible waste management, encourage sustainable practices, mobilize communities, and generate waste data that could contribute to environmental education, planning, and advocacy.

Waste-count data were collected from participating organizations and volunteers across Antique, Capiz, Iloilo, Iloilo City, La Union, Negros Occidental, and Zamboanga del Sur using a Waste Count Data Card endorsed by the International Coastal Cleanup organization. Of the 80 registered participating organizations, 39 were able to submit waste-count data. The reported activities documented 66,539 individual waste items collected across the participating areas, with Iloilo City accounting for the largest reported share. The waste recorded included plastic and other packaging materials, beverage containers, food wrappers, fishing-related debris, personal hygiene waste, and small fragments of foam, glass, and plastic.

The findings indicate that food wrappers, plastic pieces, plastic beverage bottles, paper and plastic cups and plates, grocery bags, and other plastic or foam packaging were among the most frequently collected waste items. Coastal areas also recorded fishing-related debris, highlighting the relationship between local waste practices and marine pollution. Comparison with the 2022 results showed an increase in the reported total waste count from 25,481 to 66,539 items, while several single-use and convenience-related waste categories increased substantially.

Beyond waste collection, the initiative demonstrated significant youth and community participation in environmental action. The report emphasizes that volunteer engagement provides opportunities for environmental education, leadership development, collective action, and community ownership. The resulting data provide a baseline for understanding waste patterns in participating communities and underscore the continuing need for waste reduction, responsible disposal, sustainable consumption, and strengthened environmental action.

Report Link:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MInpxYpVPrc3VmvcC6OAHfwso31pLLsE/view?usp=sharing