November 3, 2025 | 8:00am
MANILA, Philippines — Plastic waste topped the list of trash left by visitors in cemeteries nationwide during Undas, according to monitoring by the EcoWaste Coalition.
According to the group’s statement on Sunday, November 2, disposable plastics, including bags, bottles, cups, cutlery, straws, and polystyrene food and beverage containers, were among the most common trash left by cemetery visitors.
“SUPs, which are principally made of fossil fuels and intended for one-time use, are not easily recycled and contribute significantly to environmental degradation, wreaking havoc in the ecosystems and harming wildlife,” Ochie Tolentino, campaigner of EcoWaste Coalition, said in a statement.
“Unknown to many, SUPs contribute to the interconnected planetary crisis of climate emergency, pervasive pollution and biodiversity loss,” he added.
The group said it monitored 25 public and private cemeteries from October 31 to November 2, including major sites like the Manila North Cemetery and Manila South Cemetery.
Enforcement and the need for segregation. The group said that slight improvements in waste management were observed inside cemetery compounds, attributing the reduction in large garbage piles to the deployment of more street sweepers, round-the-clock cleanup efforts, and the strategic positioning of more bins and catchy signage.
However, the streets outside crowded cemeteries were observed to be heavily strewn with assorted garbage, including food packaging and food waste, particularly on November 1 and the morning of November 2.
The coalition pointed out that a lasting reduction in Undas trash requires three steps: the national phase-out of SUPs, the effective enforcement of existing local plastic ban ordinances, and the strict implementation of Republic Act 9003, or The Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, both inside and outside burial grounds.
“It is not enough, for example, to scatter bags or bins for mixed waste disposal all over the cemetery,” Tolentino said.
“In line with RA 9003, the different waste types should be properly separated to make their reuse and recycling easier, prevent cross-contamination, and cut the amount of residual waste going to the landfills,” he added.
