MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has to be more decisive in implementing a law on the disposal of single-use plastics especially since a low percentage of enterprises have complied with it, Camarines Sur 2nd District Rep. LRay Villafuerte said.
Villafuerte on Thursday said that instead of facing the problem with a defeatist tone, the DENR should take steps towards implementing Republic Act No. 11898 or the Extended Producer Responsibility Act of 2022.
The solon said this after Environment Secretary Antonia Yulo Loyzaga stated that the country was not winning the war against single-use plastics, as only 600 of 4,000 firms have taken the initiative to implement the law.
“Rather than seemingly giving up this early the fight against plastic waste pollution, the DENR should do a better job of implementing the ‘Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Act,’ in support of the government goal of advancing a circular economy and mitigating the deleterious impact of climate change,” Villafuerte said.
“Rather than apparently losing heart just a half-year after the release of RA 11898’s IRR (Implementing Rules and Regulations), the Secretary should work on more decisive steps to fully implement this law and ensure the compliance of the obliged companies with the registration requirement,” he added.
READ: Filipinos losing war against single-use plastics – DENR
Under the EPR Act of 2022, large companies are required to adopt policies for the proper management of single-use plastic waste.
Through the EPR, companies will be responsible for the proper and effective recovery, treatment, recycling, or disposal of single-use plastics after they have been sold and used by consumers — in an effort to reduce mounting packaging waste and ensure the recyclability and reusability of these items.
READ: Senate OKs bill making firms responsible over plastic waste
But instead of merely announcing that the country is losing the war, Villafuerte — one of the law’s primary authors — said that Loyzaga should push for stricter implementation of the law.
“The objective here is to reduce waste generation and improve the recyclability or reusability of such wastes as plastic containers or packaging materials as part of a holistic approach in switching to an eco-friendly circular economy,” he said.
“But sadly, this grand government drive to reverse the worsening plastic waste pollution appears to have nosedived this early before it could even fully take off, with our DENR Secretary herself conceding that ‘we are not winning the war’ on this campaign,” he added.
Villafuerte reminded Loyzaga that businesses are required to practice the EPR, and that failure to do so would necessitate a fine of P5 million up to P20 million.
He also asked DENR whether or not it was the department that is also slacking off and supposedly not exerting effort to require companies to adhere to the EPR.
“If most of the obliged companies have not even bothered to register, is it too much to speculate that they probably haven’t made any effort yet to start with the proper disposal or recycling of their plastic wastes, as the new law requires?” Villafuerte asked.
The government has dangled several benefits for companies that would adhere to the EPR, including incentives should companies sign up for the project. However, as Loyzaga said, only 600 of 4,000 targeted firms, or a meager 15 percent, have signed up.
“There’s a social issue attached to it and if you cannot address the social issue, we will not be able to address the use of single-use plastics,” she said, calling on large-scale enterprises using plastic packaging to be responsible in looking for a sustainable replacement,” she said last June 5, on World Environment Day.
“It is not only the government and certainly not the community that is [leaning] to use it. Those who generated it should take responsibility in terms of their role in [eradicating] that,” she added.
READ: PH to incentivize firms willing to sign up for war vs plastics