HUGE corporations will soon be required to process their plastic packaging waste once the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) and national framework for the Republic Act (RA) 11898 or the “Extended Producer Responsibility” (EPR) Act of 2022 have been completed.

This was disclosed by the Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) as it has already conducted the final presentation of the IRR and the framework.

Almost 650 representatives from non-government organizations (NGOs), the academe, sanitary landfill operators, training organizations, plastic industry associations and corporations, and local government units (LGUs) were gathered during the final consultation held last Nov. 3 in Quezon City.

The DENR-EMB was tasked to formulate the IRR and framework within 90 days since RA 11898 lapsed into law on July 23 this year.

EMB Director William Cuñado said that under the EPR law, huge corporations would be required to process their plastic packaging waste.

“We have conducted several focus group discussions and public consultation meetings for Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao clusters during the past few weeks,” Cuñado said.

“We were able to achieve the task of formulating the IRR and framework for the Extended Producer Responsibility Act in such a small amount of time with the help and support of all partners and stakeholders,” he added.

Some of the notable features of the IRR include the provision of additional and further definitions of terms, such as ECAR or the EPR Law (2022) Compliance Audit Report, plastic waste footprint reduction, producer responsibility organizations (PROs), recyclable materials, and waste diverters.

Three NGO representatives with a track record or expertise in solid waste management or waste reduction, recycling and resource recovery; EPR; and hazardous waste management will also be added to the private sector representatives of the National Solid Waste Management Commission.

The IRR also provides a step-by-step process for the EPR registration for the obliged enterprises, collectives, and PROs, which would include their EPR program.

A national framework was also crafted for all types of product waste with the aim of reducing non-environment friendly products and establishing recovery programs to effectively prevent waste from leaking into the environment.

Cuñado said that the recommendations from the stakeholders will be considered in the finalization of the IRR and framework before its endorsement for adoption as a department order.

“With the conclusions to the final presentations today, rest assured that all your inputs and insights will be considered for the finalization of the draft IRR and the framework, which will then be endorsed to the DENR executive committee,” said Cuñado.

The final consultation was held in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme and the Government of Japan.