La Trinidad, Benguet will be stricter in implementing the anti-plastic ordinance beginning September.
Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Officer Arthur Pedro said the monitoring of the anti-plastic ordinance became lax at the height of the pandemic, though the residents and business establishments were compliant when the municipality first implemented the ordinance in 2017.
He said the Menro, as the implementing office of the ordinance, will sustain its information dissemination campaign around the municipality.
“We are asking the residents to bring their own eco bags if they go to the market starting Sept. 1. If not, they have to buy alternative bags sold by the establishments,” Pedro said.
Last week, Pedro met with public market tenants to remind and inform them about the strict implementation of the ordinance.
The dry goods section should use alternative packing materials aside from plastic while the wet market section could use plastic as primary packaging then pack the product in eco bag or bayong or any reusable bags, for hygienic purposes. Ordinance 11-2015 regulates the use of plastic bags, polystyrene/Styrofoam and other synthetic packaging materials in the municipality and provides a penalty for violators. – Ofelia C. Empian
