This file photo taken on July 17, 2018 shows plastic straws being used in refreshing drinks. Plastic straws may soon become instinct, as well as plastic coffee stirrers, as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources is gearing toward banning these items declared as non-environmentally acceptable products. (AFP file photo/Jeff Chiu)
MANILA, Philippines — Plastic straws and plastic coffee stirrers may soon be banned in the country as the National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC) has approved a draft resolution that includes the two items in the list of non-environmentally approved products (NEAP), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said Wednesday.
The resolution was deliberated and approved by the NSWMC on Tuesday.
The list of NEAP is part of the implementation of Republic Act (RA) 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, which was enacted into law in January 2001.
Under RA 9003, it read that the commission will prepare a list of non-environmentally acceptable products that should be prohibited.
“The prohibition on these two single-use plastic items may be small steps in the NEAP listing, but it is a big leap when it comes to compliance with the provisions of RA 9003,” said DENR Usec. Benny Antiporda, in simultaneous with the celebration of the International Straw-Free Day on Feb. 3.
However, two decades after the law was enacted, it was only now that the list of NEAP only commenced, DENR Undersecretary Benny Antiporda said.
“This is long overdue and we need to catch up with the demand of solid waste management in our country,” Antiporda, who is serves as NSWMC alternate chair, said in a statement.
“This is a significant milestone for NSWMC, and for the Filipino people. We have long been fighting for and we are committed in having a NEAP list to comply with the law to combat environmental damage,” he added.
“The prohibition on these two single-use plastic items may be small steps in the NEAP listing, but it is a big leap when it comes to compliance with the provisions of RA 9003.”