A beachgoer in the Philippines was dismayed by the behavior of people who were burning their trash without care for anyone else around.
The person posted a photo on the subreddit r/Philippines_Expats of the unpleasant scene at Subic Bay, saying they still had a sore throat from the smoke the next morning.
"Fires burning debris mixed with plastics and other garbage up and down the beach," they wrote. "How unfair to these people just trying to enjoy the beach."
The University of the Philippines Open University's Journal of Management and Development Studies reported that though the nation ratified the Stockholm Convention, intended to protect people from pollution, "open burning of solid waste material is still a common practice … since it is cheap and easy to perform."
The illegal burning of trash may be more prevalent in some countries than others, but it's a problem everywhere. For example, one person in the United Kingdom contended with neighbors' trash bonfires, and a homeowner in the United States had neighbors who unabashedly burned trash every day.
The issue is compounded by a lack of awareness of the detriments and by the absence of government oversight or support in waste management. Sandra L. Saplala-Yaptenco, the author of Open University's study, found that "many residents and local officials are not sufficiently aware of the negative effects of the practice, are not well-versed in the implementation of laws and ordinances, and consider compliance as merely optional."
Burning trash is dangerous and an ineffective method of disposal, no matter if it's regulated or not. Ana Baptista, a professor of environmental policy and sustainability management, wrote for PBS about the community and environmental dangers of incinerators, which release various pollutants into the atmosphere.
"These substances are known to have serious public health effects, from increased cancer risk to respiratory illness; cardiac disease; and reproductive, developmental and neurological problems," she explained.
A study in Italy even showed a connection between incinerators and increased chance of miscarriage, according to Baptista.
So, it's not just a question of ruining someone's beach day. Burning trash has serious consequences.
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Definitely 👍 Commenters were empathetic, voicing their own frustrations with the pervasive issue.
"It gets even worse. Subic Bay has the audacity to charge visitors an 'Environmental Fee,'" one person complained.
"Only a constant pressure on authorities and involved burners is the answer," another wrote.
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