ADVOCACY PLAN: PLASTIC WASTE

Zero Plastic

Together in eliminating plastic waste

Patricia Falejo

1st Year

GED104

Sir Hector Brizuela

 Zero Plastic
Together in eliminating plastic waste

MISSION

The Zero Plastic movement is an advocacy plan created solely for the purpose of

eliminating single-used, disposable, and non-biodegradable plastic in our country, which

contributes to polluting the environment, affecting the environmental and waste management

sectors, and replacing it with eco-friendly materials that can either be reused and recycled

or be biodegradable.

This movement supports and promotes innovative inventions or process that either

mainly replaces the over usage and production of plastics or make use of it on something

alike recycling or generating renewable energy, achieving the aforementioned purpose,

given that it will positively make an impact on the political, economic, social, technological,

legal, and most importantly, the environmental factors that it will encounter or undergo and

participates or can organize activities and projects related to plastic waste that can give an

incredible impact among people on raising their awareness, spreading it to the world and to

apply what they learn or practice in their everyday lives.

BUILDING A COALITION

In recent studies conducted by Gaia, the Philippines is one of the world’s worst

offenders of marine plastic pollution, with 0.28–0.75 million tonnes per year of plastic

entering oceans from coastal areas in Manila Bay and using almost 60 billion sachets a year,

which is alarming for the environment, but, on the other hand, benefits the poor-to-middle

class families because of its low-cost production and affordable sale prices. These studies are

based on the current situation of our country, given that we are classified as a third world
country, which limits the capacity and opportunity to urgently act on such arising problems,

namely the plastic waste pollution, which is highly evident. Plastic waste, if improperly

disposed of, also greatly affects the flow of rivers and canals in Metro Manila, resulting in

flooding and high pH levels, which affects the marine ecosystem as well as the health of

people using it.

With that, the Zero Plastic movement would be working, cooperating, and supporting

organizations that specialize in the dilemma of plastic usage, such as Mother Earth

Foundation, Gaia, and Break Free from Plastic, to create a much greater and bigger impact

on our fellow countrymen in addressing and raising awareness as well as thinking,

promoting, and introducing solutions, innovations, and developments with regards to the

issues of single-used, disposable, and non-biodegradable plastic.

DEVELOPED SHARED VISION

The aforementioned organizations and the Zero Plastic movement share the same

vision regarding single-used, disposable, and non-biodegradable plastic: to address, raise

awareness, and find plausible solutions, innovations, and/or developments that would

completely take the single-used, disposable, and non-biodegradable plastic out of the picture,

for the movement’s main mission to finally eliminate it.

  FORMULATION AND IMPLEMENTING STRATEGIES

For the movement’s mission to be meaningful, successful, and acknowledged, there

are several basic strategies that need to be remembered and must be implemented in all of the

future activities, projects, involvement, representations, and partnerships:

Legal Strategies:
  The movement will be supported by Republic Act 9003, otherwise known as the

Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2001, in relation to Republic Act 8679,

otherwise known as the Clean Air Act. Through this law, the movement can legally

address present issues regarding our dilemma and conduct projects and activities that

are under the scope of the above-mentioned laws.

 The movement will support House Bill 9147, otherwise known as the Single-use

Plastic Products Regulation Act, which is now at its final hearing. With this bill

turning into a law, it will strengthen and solidify the advocacy of eliminating single-

used, disposable, and non-biodegradable plastic in our country, which will be

beneficial and will have a gigantic positive impact on the environment.

 Other bills or platforms related to the mission of the movement that will undergo

hearings in the government will be supported by attaining the needs the movement is

capable of offering and will spread the information for the knowledge of all people.

 All possible inventions, innovations, and developments directly related to the

movement’s mission and other co-existing organizations, or groups will be absolutely

supported for legally binding and approving those things.

 Research Strategies:

 Local scientists and other people who will be involved in researching ways and

solutions to eliminate single-used, disposable, and non-biodegradable plastics will be

supported by the movement and will give them an opportunity to showcase their

research and work that will greatly influence the audience and people to be much

more aware of the current dilemma of plastics.

  The movement will coordinate with the government regarding the conducting of

research on specific aspects, which mainly tackles the dilemma of plastic usage,

especially if it involves applying for a permit or requesting access or funds for the

research.

 With the help of international organizations and groups whose main goal is to

eliminate plastics, the movement will guide and assist them in acquiring necessary

data, needed information, and other things that may support their projects or studies.

Political Strategies:

 The movement will further guide and assist the government in implementing and

enforcing the existing laws which supports the reduction, elimination, and

management of plastic such as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act under

Clean Air Act by conducting seminars and briefing to LGUs in relation to the

aforementioned acts.

 Also, with the help of local government officials, the movement will promote and

introduce eco-based products, reducing, reusing, and recycling of products, and

strategic waste management coming from recent studies, works, methods, etc. to be

able to further tap people on the problem regarding plastic waste.

Negotiation Strategies:

 The movement will support and lend helping hands on treaties between big companies

being planned to solve the problem of massive plastic production.

 The movement will also draft, propose, and introduce possible solutions, together

with other involved organizations, that are mainly economically friendly and

adaptable in relation to plastic waste to all small businesses that mainly use plastic for
 their packaging, etc., and support and guide them all throughout the process of

transition.

 The movement will assist other organizations and the government in planning and

drafting agreements that involve substituting plastic for an eco-based and friendly

material that is economically wise and beneficial to both producers and consumers.

This will involve agreements between big companies that use plastic as their main

packaging, etc.

Media Strategies:

 The movement will use the power of the internet, such as creating a page wherein

trivial facts and data related to plastic waste will be posted and shared to be able to

maximize the opportunity of spreading information and awareness to people regarding

the urgent concern regarding plastic waste consumption and production.

 The movement will also seek assistance from influential people such as journalists,

writers, actors, and actresses, and also government officials in promoting, spreading

information, and raising awareness on the matter of plastic waste.

 In addition, the movement can create contextual videos, ads, and commercials to

further tap into many viewers to extremely increase the number of people that will

possibly be more aware of the dilemma of plastic waste.

RETHINKING STRATEGIES

If the movement was unable to perform or execute any of the following strategies, there

are several other strategies that the movement may incorporate:

 Join, attend, participate, or be part of the organization of all activities that are directly

related or specifically tackle plastic waste.

  conduct fund-raising activities for the movement to be able to raise funds that will

help the movement to perform, cooperate, and assist in all the mentioned strategies.

 Seek help from people, especially those who have been involved or have been

advocating plastic waste for a long period of time, to strengthen the integrity of the

movement itself.

 Encourage people to be a part not only of this movement but also of other

organizations and groups affiliated with it that share the same mission and vision

regarding plastic waste.

MEASURING SUCCESS OF SHORT-TERM OUTCOMES

For the movement to be able to assess and observe if the conducted, implemented, or

executed activity was a success, there are indicators that need to be answered and monitored

for a specific amount of time. In every activity/event participated in or organized, there will

be the following steps to measure the success of the concluded activity/event:

1. Evaluating the participants

a. The movement will be evaluating the participants on their recent learnings and/or

realizations, especially the impact of the dilemma regarding plastic waste.

2. Evaluating the organizers

a. The movement will also assess the organizers' current knowledge, understanding,

and performance on the organized event, as well as whether they believe they have

adequately deliberated what they intend to deliberate to the participants or audiences.

3. Evaluating the activity/event

 a. The movement will be assessing and evaluating the activity/event itself to see if it

was executed correctly or if there are shortcomings that could hinder the main

purpose of why it was done.

4. Monitoring of progress

a. After the activity or event, the movement will not stop there. A specific given

timeline will be set for the monitoring of the progress and effects of the concluded

activity/event for the movement to know if it was truly successful, if it attained

sustainability, and if it really had an impact on the participants or target group of

people.

EVALUATE PROGRESS TOWARDS REALIZING THE LONG-TERM VISION

In connection to the measuring of the success of short-term activities/events, the

evaluation of progress with long-term vision will be more hands-on and completely

monitored to attain the so-called "sustainability". Having sustainability on a concluded

project means that the solution was excellent and can continuously be executed or taught for

a long period of time. With that, here are some steps for the movement to be able to properly

evaluate the progress of long-term projects:

1. Evaluating the participants

a. The movement will be evaluating the participants on their recent learnings

and/or realizations, especially the impact of the dilemma regarding plastic

waste.

2. Evaluating the organizers

a. The movement will be also evaluating the organizers on their updated

knowledge, understanding, and performance on the organized event and if

 they feel that they properly deliberate what they intend to deliberate to the

participants or audiences.

3. Evaluating the activity/event

a. The movement will be assessing and evaluating the activity/event itself to see

if it was executed correctly or if there are shortcomings that could hinder the main

purpose of why it was done.

4. Monitoring of progress

a. After the activity or event, the movement will not stop there. A specific given

timeline will be set for the monitoring of the progress and effects of the concluded

activity/event for the movement to know if it was truly successful, if it attained

sustainability, and if it really had an impact on the participants or target group of

people.

5. Determining the credibility and reliability of participants to also conduct the

activity/event performed on them

a. For the activity/event to be sustainable, the movement shall oversee the participants in

planning to execute or implement the activity/event that they perform until they reach the

point wherein, they will maintain and sustain it for the participants that they invited and so on

and so forth.