Davao City to enforce plastic ban in 2 days

DAVAO CITY, Philippines—Davao City will finally enforce the ban on all plastic and polystyrene used as food and beverage containers on Thursday.

Dolly Remojo, chief of the local environment and waste management board, said the city government has sent out notices on the ban to business establishments since June 8 and over 30,000 establishments in the city were expected to comply with the ban.

Mayor Sara Duterte, chair of the Davao City Ecological Solid Waste Management Board, signed the June 8 board resolution serving notice on all business establishments in the city about the ban, which imposes a fine of P2,000 to P5,000  or imprisonment of not less than one month but not more than six months on violators.

The Davao City Council passed in 2009 an ordinance banning the use of non-biodegradable plastics and polystyrene containers used for food and beverages, but it is only now that it will finally be enforced. The ban on non-biodegradable containers is spelled out in Section 7, Article V of the Ordinance 0361 series of 2010 of the Davao City Ecological Waste Management of 2009.

Jim Sampulna, regional executive director of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, said plastics make up the bulk of garbage collected from canals  which in 2011 alone reached up to 17,087 kilos.

“Most of these plastics and polystyrene containers find their way into the waterways, streets, beaches and seas. They clog waterways and pollute our oceans and seas,” Sampulna added.