Marcos eyes nuclear solution to plastic pollution
MANILA, Philippines — The government is banking on nuclear-based technologies to help curb the country’s mounting plastic pollution, President Marcos said, as he pushed for deeper global cooperation on science-driven environmental solutions.
Mr. Marcos warned that plastic pollution has grown into a widespread global issue with lasting consequences. It has become intertwined with economic development, harming biodiversity, public health, supply chains and the everyday lives of both coastal and urban communities, he said.
“And that is why the Philippines is proud to champion the nuclear technology (NUTEC) Plastics initiative of the IAEA,” he said.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), recognized as the global hub for collaboration in the nuclear field, has signaled its readiness to support the Philippines in identifying the most appropriate systems and technologies as the country pursues the safe, secure and peaceful development of nuclear energy.
“NUTEC Plastics embodies the kind of innovation that we need—solutions that merge advanced nuclear applications with environmental protection, to translate scientific progress into tangible benefits for industry and for society,” Mr. Marcos added.
READ: Long road to nuclear energy
No stranger
IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said the Philippines was not new to nuclear technology, describing it instead as a “returning” or “revisiting” country in the field.
“I like to say that the Philippines is not a newcomer, it’s a revisiting country,” Grossi said. “It’s a country reviewing, taking into account its technological capacities–considering that it is perhaps the right moment to avail itself of an option of a clean energy that is providing solutions in many parts of the world.”
During the term of Mr. Marcos’ late father, the Bataan nuclear power plant had been built, but this was never commissioned due to safety concerns.
Also cited was the Post-Radiation Reactive Extrusion of Plastic Wastes Project (PREx), developed by the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute together with the Industrial Technology Development Institute and Envirotech.
The PREx transforms low-value plastic waste into durable, commercially usable materials.
“The PREx Prototype House stands today as a tangible output of this initiative,” Mr. Marcos said. “But beyond a demonstration of breakthrough nuclear technology, it is a prototype of the future circular economy.”
He likewise noted that radiation-based technologies were demonstrating how innovation could transform an industry by turning materials previously considered waste into something valuable.
Marine lab
Meanwhile, the president also highlighted the marine microplastics monitoring laboratory at the University of the Philippines–Marine Science Institute, set up with the IAEA’s support, which equips researchers “to quantify microplastic pollution with scientific precision.”
He said data from the facility would help shape global models and policy interventions.
Marcos also announced the launch of the NUTEC Plastics Investment and Partnership Brochure to encourage investments in nuclear science for environmental and industrial use.
He cited the Philippine Nuclear Law, which he had signed last September, as providing “a stable, predictable environment to innovate responsibly.”
READ: Marcos signs law creating PhilAtom, new nuclear regulatory agency
Ahead of the Philippines’ Association of Southeast Asian Nations chairship in 2026, Marcos said the bloc would expand cooperation on nuclear science literacy and regulatory alignment. He cited NUTEC Plastics as a template for tackling cross-border environmental problems.
READ: Philippines explores capital sources for nuclear energy
“Our engagement with the IAEA and our support for science-based responses to plastic pollution reflect that same conviction: that durable progress comes not from acting alone, but from strengthening the international system that makes such cooperation possible,” he said. /dda
