ORDINANCES regulating the utilization of single-use plastics must be strictly implemented to address the looming plastic pollution crisis in Quezon City.

Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte emphasized this as she urged residents to cooperate in the city government’s “Kuha sa Tingi” project.

The project, which is being implemented by the city government and the Greenpeace Philippines, seeks to provide accessible and affordable alternatives to sachets and plastic-packaged goods.

Belmonte said the project also aims to empower communities to access goods without contributing to plastic pollution by promoting reuse and refill systems.

“Kuha sa Tingi” is a testament that being sustainable and eco-friendly can be affordable and inclusive, especially for those who belong to the marginalized sector.

With this initiative, we were able to lessen the usage of products in sachets, and at the same time prevent these from ending up in our waterways when not properly disposed of,” Belmonte said.

The program started on July 10, 2023 with 30 participating pilot stores. Throughout the 8-week program, participating stores’ sales hit P143,286, or an average of P4,776 per store.

Consumers, meanwhile, were able to save P143 per week. The city was able to divert 47,601 sachets or a total of 1,428,030 mL of plastics in volume.

Given the magnitude of this issue and the surge in plastic production in recent years, Greenpeace believed it is imperative to implement effective and impactful solutions to reduce production and dependence on single-use plastic.

Greenpeace added these can be done by developing a sustainable business model anchored on concepts of reuse and refill as well as providing consumers with an array of zero-waste alternatives that are simple, affordable and readily accessible for their daily needs.

Extending across multiple barangays and various types of enterprises in Quezon City, “Kuha sa Tingi” is a testament to the broad range of positive impacts of reuse and refill systems.

“The results of Kuha sa Tingi showed that companies can adopt reuse and refill, and they should do so immediately,” said Marian Ledesma, Zero Waste Campaigner of Greenpeace Philippines.

Under the Global Plastics Treaty, governments are mandated to support these existing efforts and future development by establishing global standards and mechanisms to enable refill and reuse to be supported, replicated and scaled across countries and regions.

Major contributors to plastic pollution, such as plastic-dependent corporations and fossil fuel companies that are reaping benefits from the proliferation of plastic products, should be held accountable to reduce plastic production and phase out single-use plastics.

“Companies must be obligated into adapting and integrating the reuse and refill systems into their business models. This shift is essential for mitigating the environmental impact of their operations,” said Ledesma.

Greenpeace called on all local government units to engage in reuse and refill initiatives like “Kuha sa Tingi,” and urged them to strengthen public policies that regulate the production and use of single-use plastics.