Plastic Waste in Waterways: Assessing Pollution Levels and Community Awareness

Plastic pollution in waterways poses critical ecological and health threats, particularly in urbanized coastal regions where waste management practices often fail to contain the volume of plastic waste generated. Thisstudy assessed plastic waste pollution levels and community awareness utilizing the Clean Coast Index (CCI) as a quantitative measure of plastic litter density. Through environmental sampling and community surveys, data were collected from two rivers, Davao and Talomo-Bangkal, to categorize plastic waste types and evaluate pollution severity. Results indicated that household waste and food packaging constitute the largest portion of collected plastic, with pollution levels classified as "Moderate" in the Davao River (CCI:2.6) and "Dirty" in Talomo-Bangkal (CCI: 7.4). Community interviews revealed varied levels of awareness regarding plastic pollution's impact on environmental and public health, high lighting gaps in knowledge and the need for targeted educational campaigns. These findings underscore the importance of localized policy interventions, community engagement, and strengthened waste management infrastructures to mitigate plastic pollution in urban waterways.