Coasts wash up loads of cigarette butts

Almost two million cigarette butts were found along the world’s shorelines in 2016, making them the most common coastal trash on the planet, according to the non-profit environmental advocacy group Ocean Conservancy.

In the Philippines, the International Coastal Cleanup reports more items in the list including plastic wrappers, bottle lids, straws and stirrers.

This year alone, Haribon Foundation has collected at least 43 sacks of plastic waste (utensils, straws, plastic bags, wrappers, diapers, bottles), 22 sacks of Styrofoam waste and 21 sacks of rubber and cloth waste (shoes, slippers, bags).

Debris from recreational and commercial fishing also make up ocean waste such as buoys, fishing nets, traps and ropes.

Many of the smaller wastes are either thrown to shore or end up in sewer drains on streets, which lead to bodies of water.

On average, cigarette butts take at least 10 years to rot while plastic products need five centuries to a thousand years to decompose.

Marine debris in the ocean can disrupt an entire food web.

Marine mammals, sea turtles and sea birds are either injured, entangled or killed due to discarded plastics, fishing nets and other marine debris. Bits of plastic are commonly mistaken for food, which kills turtles, birds and fish.

Fishing gear and other debris entangle or suffocate corals and many marine organisms, causing them physical damage or mortality.

Chemicals from tires, batteries, electronics and plastics harm marine life and may get absorbed into fish and other food sources.

On National Cleanup Month this September, Haribon Foundation invites organizations and individuals to join thousands of volunteers around the country who love the ocean and want to protect it.

Since the early ’90s, the local environmental group has joined the global call to conserve Philippine shorelines, rivers and waterways.

Haribon organizes year-round coastal cleanup drives with corporate partners and volunteers at the Las Piñas-Parañaque Critical Habitat and Eco-Tourism Area, a resting and feeding stop for almost 5,000 migratory birds.

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