Plastics use regulation pressed
SOME lawmakers are pushing for the immediate approval of a measure that regulates the use of single-use plastics.
Led by Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte, the solons filed House Bill 507 which is still pending for approval in the House of Representatives.
The bill aims to regulate the manufacture, sale, use and importation of single-use plastics products, in line with his advocacy of building a greener and more sustainable economy for the country’s future generations.
Other authors include Benguet Rep. Eric Yap, Quezon City Rep. Ralph Tulfo and ACT-CIS Party-list Reps. Edvic Yap and Jocelyn Tulfo.
The country marks the Month of Planet Earth this April and Earth Day on April 22.
Under House Bill507, regulating non-compostable single-use plastics also cover the distribution, recovery, collection, recycling and disposal of these products.
“As we mark Earth Day on April 22, I urge my colleagues in Congress to act on this bill and similar other pending measures so that we can finally phase out single-use plastic products, which remain among the most pervasive kind of waste that pollute our land, choke our oceans and bring harm to our precious marine resources,” Duterte said.
Duterte pointed out that in Davao City, an ordinance banning single-use plastics, and regulating their sale and distribution, has been in place since 2021. His Congressional District Office in Davao City also earlier launched the “Save the Earth–No To Plastics Bags” Movement.
While the House of Representatives had already approved on third and final reading a bill that would impose a P100 excise tax on every kilogram of single-use plastic bags, a measure regulating the eventual phaseout of these and other similar products, along with the proper way of recycling and disposing of them have yet to be enacted.
Duterte said their proposal under HB 507 covers other single-use plastics, such as plastic utensils and tableware, containers, packaging, drinking straws, stirrers, sachets and pouches. Duterte and his fellow authors proposed that their use be gradually phased out within a period of 1 to 4 years.
