BORACAY – The local government of Malay, Aklan is enforcing an ordinance prohibiting single-use plastics when this island resort reopens in October.
Boracay will have a “dry run” from Oct. 15 to 25 before it starts fully taking in tourists on Oct. 26.
Business will stop handing out plastic straws in particular, Sangguniang Bayan member Maylynn Aguirre-Graf said.
“Sa mga bisita sa Boracay, bawal ang single-use plastic. Bawal na rin ang plastic bags at styrofoams sa isla,” she stressed.
Graf authored Municipal Ordinance No. 386, series of 2018 that prohibits hotels, resorts, other accommodation establishments, and restaurants in Malay from using single-use plastics.
Boracay is under the jurisdiction of the local government of Malay.
Moreover, instead of using packed toiletries, businesses are also encouraged to use dispensers for their shampoos and conditioners and liquid body soaps.
Ordinance violators face a P2,000 fine and a stern warning on first offense, a P2,500 fine and confiscation of single-use plastics on second offense, and cancellation of business permit on the succeeding offense.
This complements Municipal Ordinance No. 320, series of 2012 that bans the use of plastic bags for dry goods, regulating its use for wet goods, and prohibiting the use of polystyrene material (commonly called by the brand Styrofoam).
Single-use plastics frequently do not make it to a landfill or are recycled.
It is estimated that 4 trillion plastic bags are used worldwide annually and only one percent of plastic bags are returned for recycling, according to the Earth Day Network.
Plastic straws are among the top 10 waste items found on beaches.
Across the world, plastics make up 85 percent of marine litter. They reach people’s lungs and dinner tables, with micro-plastics in the air, water and food having an unknown impact on their health, according to the Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro. (With Aklan Forum Journal/PN)
