MANILA (LiCAS): “We shouldn’t depend on false solutions,” said Marian Ledesma, Zero Waste Campaigner for Greenpeace Philippines, raising alarm over the government’s approval of plastic waste use in national road construction, warning that it could worsen the country’s plastic pollution and public health crises.
The Department of Public Works and Highways [DPWH] announced on May 18 that it had approved the use of polyethylene terephthalate [PET] plastic bottle waste as an additive in asphalt to enhance the stability and extend the lifespan of paved roads.
Department secretary, Manuel Bonoan, signed a department order formalising the new standard, dubbed Item 310 (19), which will now form part of the DPWH Standard Specification for Highways, Bridges, and Airports Volume II.
The policy builds on the agency’s 2024 initiative that incorporated low-density polyethylene [LDPE] plastic bag waste in road projects.
However, Greenpeace, however denounced the policy as “greenwashing” and a dangerous distraction from meaningful solutions to the plastic crisis.
The chemicals in plastic are not only linked to cancer, heart disease, other health conditions and deaths, but they can also bioaccumulate in soil, plants and animals—eventually reaching people through our food
Marian Ledesma
“The use of plastic waste in building and maintaining our roads is not a solution to the plastic pollution crisis, nor is it a sustainable and safe option,” Ledesma said, “This only creates more problems for the environment and public health.”
“Turning waste into valuable resource for building better and more roads is the future of public infrastructure development in the country,” Bonoan said. “The public can expect more of these policies as we vow to continue to fund for this construction innovation.”
The material will be used in future infrastructure projects by regional offices, the Unified Project Management Office Clusters, and District Engineering Offices across the country.
The DPWH said the initiative aligns with the push for resilient and sustainable infrastructure by the administration of president, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Ledesma cautioned that roads deteriorate over time, which could lead to the release of toxic chemicals and microplastics into surrounding ecosystems.
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“When you take into account the wear and tear that our roads undergo, as well as exposure to the sun and other elements, plastic waste in building roads can be potentially harmful,” she said.
When you take into account the wear and tear that our roads undergo, as well as exposure to the sun and other elements, plastic waste in building roads can be potentially harmful
Ledesma
Greenpeace warned that plastics used in road construction may release harmful substances, including so-called forever chemicals, which pose health risks to nearby communities and contribute to microplastic pollution in the environment.
“The chemicals in plastic are not only linked to cancer, heart disease, other health conditions and deaths, but they can also bioaccumulate in soil, plants and animals—eventually reaching people through our food,” said Ledesma. “In the same manner, emissions of microplastics can add to water and air pollution, which can also contaminate our food system.”
She raised concerns about the structural reliability of using plastic waste in construction, warning that it may compromise the integrity of concrete structures. She argued that incorporating plastics into infrastructure only amplifies the broader environmental and health impacts associated with plastic production, including greenhouse gas emissions, toxic pollutants, and chemical exposure.
Greenpeace urged the government to pursue genuine, long-term solutions to the plastic crisis. These include reducing plastic production at the source, implementing bans on single-use plastics, and promoting reuse systems that do not generate waste.
The group warned against institutionalising approaches that merely appear sustainable while creating new environmental and public health risks.
