Plastic invades ‘centre of the centre’ of global biodiversity hotspot

A three-day underwater exploration produced photos of sachets, some showing visible signs of being among the corals for a very long time. Among the branded single-use plastic pictured in the area are products from Nestlé, Unilever, and Colgate Palmolive, as well as some local brands such as Zagu milktea, Nutri-Asia, and Monde Nissin.

Verde Island Passage, dubbed as the ‘centre of the centre’ of global marine biodiversity, has one of the largest concentrations of marine life in the world. Located in Batangas, it is situated in the center of the Coral Triangle, a global priority for conservation.

“This is undeniable proof of how irresponsible single-use plastic production by fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies threatens our pristine environment. If big companies such as Nestlé and Unilever don’t respond to our calls for reduction in single-use plastic production, these places of “paradise” like Verde Island Passage, will be lost,” said Abigail Aguilar, campaigner for Greenpeace Southeast Asia - Philippines.

The documentation follows a report by the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) that shows Nestlé and Unilever are responsible for a quarter of the branded throwaway plastic driving the plastic pollution crisis in the Philippines. The data from the report revealed that 163 million sachets produced by the biggest FMCG companies are left polluting the environment in the Philippines.

Please find on this link the photos and videos of our underwater documentation.

Greenpeace is calling on corporations to take bold and immediate action to phase out single-use plastics for the sake of impacted communities. For other images of our recent documentation in the Philippines, please see here.

For interviews please contact:

Angelica Carballo Pago, Greenpeace SEA Philippines Media Campaigner: +63 949 889 1332, 

Greenpeace International Press Desk: +31 (0)20 718 2470 (available 24 hours),