THE ILOILO provincial government’s decision to regulate single-use plastics and Styrofoams is most welcome.
According to the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternative report “Plastics Exposed”, each day the country produces 164 million pieces of sachets, 48 million shopping bags and 45.2 million pieces of so-called plastic labo bag. We are drowning in plastics and dying inch by inch from their toxic releases.
To halt the chemical and plastic contamination of our water bodies, particularly the oceans, local government units – in fact, it should be the national government – have to adopt sweeping policy changes that will address the problem at source, such as incentivize single-use plastic reduction and disincentivize single-use plastic production.
There are even calls for the government to ban single-use plastics outright. A national action plan is needed to move our society away from our addiction to throw-away plastics.
As for the industries, especially for manufacturers of fast-moving consumer goods, we urge them to hasten the replacement of single-use plastic packaging with alternative product delivery systems, like refill and reuse, with a clear plan and timeline.
For us citizens, let us minimize, if not stop, the reckless use and disposal of single-use plastics. Let us adopt consumption choices and habits that will lessen the generation of plastic garbage.
Also, we ask every waste generator to manage their discards responsibly to prevent plastics and other wastes from entering the marine environment.
According to the United Nations report “Marine Plastic Debris and Microplastics,” 80 percent of all pollution in the sea comes from land, including some eight million tons of plastic waste each year, that have cost the lives of one million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals. Moreover, it causes $8 billion in damage annually to marine ecosystems.
While at this, we have to stress the importance of effectively enforcing key environmental laws such as Republic Act (RA) 9003 (Ecological Solid Waste Management Act), RA 9275 (Clean Water Act) and RA 6969 (Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control Act) to prevent chemicals and plastics from spilling into the oceans. These pollution prevention laws were enacted to protect the environment, including marine waters, from dumping and other environmentally- damaging acts. Big question: Are they being seriously enforced?
