WE GIVE importance to the declaration of President Marcos that his administration will solve the problem on plastic pollution and climate change. We look forward to seeing immediate concrete action. It was a year ago when he announced in his first State of the Nation Address that he would give priority to the issue of climate change mitigation.
Plastic is found in our environment, including microplastics (small plastic particles up to 5mm in diameter) that our scientists recently discovered in the air we breathe. This is especially worrisome because our knowledge about microplastics and their impact on human health is limited.
Yes, research done by Filipino scientists recently discovered the presence of microplastics in the air that people breathe. Microplastics can enter the human body when inhaled or absorbed and can accumulate in body organs. The experts view the matter as a ticking time bomb that requires urgent action and radical change.
Our governmentâs proactive stance from the very beginning has been good to promote a new international agreement to curb plastic pollution in cooperation with other countries. But there is an urgent need to promote the principle of âsustainable production and consumptionâ of plastic because of the speed of its production compared to any other material. We have also seen a worrying shift towards the use of single-use plastic products, or products designed to be thrown away after one use.
The government has a role in the plastics value chain and it can eliminate plastic products that we donât need. We reiterate the call to President Marcos for the immediate passage of a national regulation banning single-use plastics.
Government can promote innovation that ensures that essential plastics are designed and introduced into the economy with a focus on reusability. This can be achieved through minimum sustainability criteria, setting limits on polymers and toxic additives, targets for recycled content, common criteria for unnecessary, avoidable, problematic plastics, and requirements for âreuse and refill.â
There is a great need for the government to give priority to the protection of the environment and public health. The longer we delay dealing with such issues, the more vulnerable we will be to the adverse effects they bring.”
