De Lima urges ban on single-use plastics

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Leila De Lima on Monday (Sept 2) called on supermarkets and convenience stores to junk single-use plastics and give priority to selling healthy food.

De Lima, in a statement sent from detention, also sought a ban on the use of “hard-to-recycle plastic products” in food packaging.

She said business establishments nationwide should take the lead in the global campaign against single-use plastics as part of their social responsibility.

“Supermarkets must also start using plastic-free packs and trays for its fruits and vegetable lines as a way of helping the campaign against single-use plastics,” De Lima added.

De Lima’s statement followed a study by environmental organization Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives showing that Filipinos use more than 163 million plastic sachets, 48 million plastic shopping bags and 45 million thin film plastic bags daily.

The organization is composed of more than 800 grassroots groups, networks and non-governmental organizations.

It also recommended the regulation of single-use plastic products and for businesses “to redesign products, packaging and delivery systems.”

Apart from Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives’s study, a Nielsen study also revealed that more Filipinos prefer to buy meals in convenience stores.

De Lima said convenience store owners must also find ways to reduce the use of plastics while minding the health of its customers./TSB