Cigarette butts are the most prevalent type of litter in the metropolis, followed by candy wrappers, plastics, and other waste such as tissue papers, bus tickets, and face masks, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) reported Monday.
These simple types of garbage are the most commonly dumped on roads, sidewalks, and public areas and take years to decompose when thrown away on the streets, the agency said.
The MMDA thus called on the public to avoid littering on the streets to reduce severe flooding in the metropolis, especially during the rainy season.
The agency reported the most frequently collected garbage types in Metro Manila for 2025, using data from the Health Sanitation Services Coordination and Assistance Division derived from littering apprehensions across the metropolis.
The agency also emphasized that garbage that washes up in estuaries and pumping stations indicate the lack of discipline in garbage disposal, which clogs waterways and ends up in the river and Manila Bay, impacting facility operation.
MMDA Chairman Romando Artes reminded the public to follow ordinances and proper garbage disposal.
“Having discipline on the streets is a big help in maintaining cleanliness in Metro Manila. Before throwing garbage, think … Where will it go? Usually, in the drainage, which causes flooding. Throw your garbage in the right place.”
“The MMDA is relentless in cleaning the drainages on the main roads in Metro Manila, but the solution starts with us,” said Artes.
Personnel from the MMDA Flood Control and Sewerage Management Office and Metro Parkways Clearing Group are currently removing tons of mixed garbage, which the agency claimed was the root cause of the severe flooding problem in the metropolis.
Heavy downpour brought floods and traffic on major thoroughfares in Metro Manila, mainly due to canals and drainage systems full of garbage, according to the MMDA.
The agency urged the people to reuse and recycle to reduce waste and prevent clogging of waterways, explaining that even if it conducts regular cleaning and unclogging operations, “if the people continue to throw garbage, the problem of flooding will not end.”
