Baguio Rep. Mark Go has filed a bill that mandates commercial establishments and manufacturing firms to recover, collect, recycle, and dispose their plastic waste and non-biodegradable materials to curb plastic pollution.
House Bill 6180 sought to require commercial establishments such as supermarkets, office buildings, malls, food chains, and retail buildings to collect and recover used plastic from their customers, before surrendering these to the manufacturer for disposal or recycling.
Go wants to hold manufacturing companies and commercial establishments that use plastics and non-biodegradable materials accountable by including the collection and recovery of used plastic as part of their corporate social responsibility.
He cited the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ 10-year National Solid Waste Management Status Report, which stated that plastics comprised 38 percent of the country’s solid waste.
Go also named the “sachet phenomenon” in the country that leads to the increase in non-biodegradable and plastic usage and causes clogging in drainages and waterways, and polluting the streets.
He said aside from the solid waste management guidelines outlined in Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2001, there is a need for more concerted effort on the use of solid and plastic materials. – Gaby Keith
April 25, 2024
