Beyond The Bottle: Project Philippines Update

We just completed our biggest cleanup EVER.

We removed 4.6 million water bottles worth of plastic waste from the Tanza Marine Tree Park Bay in The Philippines. That’s over 83,000kgs of waste diverted from entering the ocean!

We sat down with our Philippines Project Manager, Francis, to explore the impact of cleanups in this area. Preview the short film below...

Located just north of Metro Manila, the Tanza Marine Tree Park is a protected mangrove forest reserve. The neighbouring bay is home to a long stretch of beach and boardwalk for locals. This bay was once a sanctuary for marine life, native birds and locals, however the ecosystem has been inundated with plastic waste from connected oceans and river systems.

The majority of the rubbish comes from inland sources as the area is surrounded by streams and river outlets, like the Tangos and Batasan River in Navotas City. This area is particular susceptible to tidal waste during monsoon season as it sits directly on the path of south-westerly monsoon patterns. The waste coming from the rivers and esteros of Metro Manila and neighbouring regions enter Manila Bay throughout the year. When monsoon season begins, strong winds push the rubbish back to the shores of the Tanza Bay, resulting in the more than 10-inches thick layer of rubbish that covers the shores of the Tanza Marine Tree Park and Bay, one of the remaining natural beaches of the region.

Over December, our cleanup crew begun works to restore the area. With the help of the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources, 2 local police volunteers and a handful of selfless locals, our team was able to clear the beach of waste.

At the beginning of 2023, we set an audacious plan to remove over 5 million water bottles worth of waste from oceans, rivers and beaches around the world in 12 months. From this beach alone, we collected 4.6 million water bottles worth of plastic waste, totalling over 83,369kgs of waste.

This cleanup was made possible by our generous partners, The Hidden Sea and Skip Foundation.