Plastic Beverage Bottles Top 2026 ICC Waste, E-Cigarette Waste on the Rise

Iloilo City- More than 5,000 volunteers joined this year’s International Coastal Cleanup, uniting people from all walks of life to remove thousands of kilograms of waste to push for cleaner oceans.

With 5,539 participants across Western Visayas, a total of 11,322.585 kilograms or 1,401 sacks of wastes, mostly plastic wastes, were collected from the different coastal areas.

Plastic beverage bottles topped the list as the most collected item, yielding 13,274 pieces across the region. Here are the three main areas where this plastic waste came from: the municipality of Oton accounted for 3,024 bottles, broken down into 1,734 pieces from Barangays Poblacion South and Trapiche, and 1,290 pieces from Barangays Poblacion East and Alegre. In Guimaras province, volunteers gathered a total of 2,867 bottles from Piagau Island, Binabaywan Island and Alman Sur. Another 2,850 pieces were retrieved from Barangays Culasi, Baybay, Dumolog, Cogon and Punta Cogon, Roxas City and Brgy. Binaobawan, Pilar, Capiz.

Plastic food wrappers, which topped the list last year, nudged down to number two with 10,211 pieces. Volunteers picked up the bulk of these wrappers from Barangay Sua, San Dionisio, Iloilo with 3,300 pieces. Meanwhile, a total of 2,150 pieces were collected from Barangays Culasi, Baybay, Dumolog, Cogon, and Punta Cogon in Roxas City, and Barangay Binaobawan, Pilar, Capiz. And from Barangays Poblacion South and Trapiche, Oton, Iloilo, volunteers gathered 1,166 wrappers.

On top three of most collected waste this year is the cigarette butt with 9,957 pieces retrieved. For over three decades (1986-2018), Ocean Conservancy listed cigarette butt as the undisputed number one most collected item globally. It still remained a dominant fixture on the regional list. Top three areas in the region where this item was collected the most are as follows: 3,583 pieces from Lambingan Beach and Jetty Port in Pook, Kalibo, Aklan; 3,038 pieces from Brgy. Poblacion, Culasi, Antique; and, 2,350 pieces from Barangays Culasi, Baybay, Dumolog, Cogon, and Punta Cogon in Roxas City, and Barangay Binaobawan, Pilar, Capiz.

Adding a modern and alarming twist to the wastes collected, e-cigarettes (vapes) emerged on the list with 188 pieces collected. The top three areas for vape waste were led by the coastal barangays of Capiz with 110 pieces, followed by Iloilo with 30 pieces, and Guimaras with 26 pieces. Environmental advocates warn that e-cigarettes represent a hazardous “quadruple threat” to marine ecosystems, as they consist of single-use plastics, toxic heavy metals, and lithium-ion batteries, alongside hazardous nicotine salts and e-liquid residues. This complex electronic waste is highly toxic to fish, sea turtles, and other marine life.

“We must be mindful of the waste we generate, as improper disposal can pose a serious risk to our oceans. The fight against marine pollution continues to evolve, and we need stronger local ordinances and dedicated systems for the proper disposal of electronic waste,” said Atty. Ramar Niel V. Pascua, OIC Regional Executive Director of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Region 6.

“Addressing this emerging toxic threat, however, also requires the active participation of e-waste users. We must all be responsible for the waste we generate and ensure that it is properly disposed of. By keeping our oceans healthy, we help ensure that they can continue to sustain and nourish our communities,” Director Pascua added. /DENR 6