Phase Out of Single-use Plastics in Sight as New Bill is Approved by House of Representatives

House Bill 9147 or the bill banning single-use plastics was approved on Wednesday by the House of Representatives with 190 affirmative votes, 0 negative votes, and 1 abstention. The bill is aimed at preserving life on land and water, particularly from the threats that plastic pollution presents.

Production, importation, sale, distribution, provision, and use of various single-use plastics from drinking straws to packaging bags is projected to be phased out within a year under the new bill.

It is, likewise, targeted to phase out tableware, film wrap, packaging or bags less than 50 microns thick, sachets and pouches, oxo-degradable plastic, and styrofoam food and beverage containers within four years.

Businesses caught violating the bill can be slapped hefty fines ranging from ₱50,000 up to ₱500,000 for micro-enterprises and ₱250,000 to ₱1 million for established firms.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is also mandated to come up with a comprehensive plan to phase out single-use plastic wastes within 6 months. They are tasked to take into account how to reduce plastic consumption, increase recovery, keep producers accountable, develop alternatives, and raise awareness.

Commercial establishments are also obliged to charge customers ₱5 for every single-use plastic used. They should also be able to facilitate the return of used plastics to the store.

“What is lacking here is the implementation. We don’t need this [new] bill for the agencies to do their job because it’s already in Republic Act 9003,” Oceana Philippines vice president Atty. Gloria Estenzo Ramos pointed out.

Among the plastic consumption in the country, Filipinos have been reported to use 59.7 billion pieces of sachets, 17.5 billion pieces of shopping bags, 16.5 billion pieces of plastic bags, and 1.1 billion diapers yearly, based on the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives.

Source: BusinessMirror