BY RHENJIE MARIE CALANTAS
ILOILO – Pavia’s Sangguniang Bayan (SB) member Daniel Fajardo II is pushing to regulate the use of plastic bags and styrofoam in the municipality.
Fajardo, Committee Chairman on Environmental Protection, deemed it necessary to have an ordinance that regulates the use of plastic cellophane and sando bags as packaging materials for wet and dry goods and the use of styrofoam in public markets, stores, and malls in town.
“Plastic cellophane, sando bags, and expandable polystyrene (EPS) foams—being non-biodegradable materials—clog our canals, creeks, rivers, and other waterways, causing floods during the rainy season and causing harm to these waterways and the surrounding communities,” said Fajardo.
The use of recyclable, reusable, and/or biodegradable materials as alternative packaging materials, such as eco-bags, woven bags (bayong), cloth bags (katsa), and rattan baskets, is highly encouraged. To further promote the use of alternative packaging, stores are urged to implement the “Bring Your Own Bag” (BYOB) program and to formulate incentives. A “green lane” is one in which stores may provide special counters or express lanes to cater to customers who bring their own bags or reusable bags.
On the other hand, the committee agrees that Fajardo will hold a public hearing for the proposed ordinance on January 5, 2023, at the Pavia Multi-Purpose Gymnasium with concerned stakeholders. /PN
