Caloocan joins LGUs banning plastic

Caloocan City has become the latest local government unit in Metro Manila to ban most plastic and Styrofoam packaging materials.

Ordinance No. 0503, Series of 2013, which was enacted by the Caloocan City Council on Sept. 17 and approved by Mayor Oscar Malapitan on Sept. 30, prohibits all business establishments in the city from using nonbiodegradable plastic and Styrofoam packaging.

It requires them to label biodegradable plastic bags as “degradable,” “biodegradable” or “oxo-biodegradable.” According to the measure, these bags have enzymes that can help break down the material into tiny fragments, which microorganisms can further reduce into basic chemical compounds.

The name of the bag manufacturer, along with its environmental technology verification registration number given by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), must also be printed on the bag.

The bag must also have the internationally recognized Plastic Coding System logo.

The ordinance, however, prohibits the use of nonbiodegradable plastic as only secondary packaging, noting that alternatives are not yet commercially available. Exempted from the ban are packaging for processed snacks, frozen food and bottled water, among others.

“Plastic bags used for fresh wet goods directly purchased in wet markets are considered secondary packaging and therefore must be biodegradable,” it added.

It also requires barangay halls and business establishments to set up plastic recovery bins where people could dispose of plastic and Styrofoam products, which will then be sold to recycling shops accredited by the city government.

Stores are advised to set up a reward scheme for customers who will exchange nonbiodegradable plastic bags for biodegradable or reusable packaging items such as cloth bags.

Business establishments in Caloocan are given six months from the effectivity of the ordinance to comply. Violators face a P1,000 fine for the first offense, a P3,000 fine for the second offense, and a P5,000 fine and cancellation of their business permit for a year for the third offense.

Aside from Caloocan, the following cities in the National Capital Region have also regulated the use of plastics: Muntinlupa, Las Piñas, Pasig, Quezon, Pasay, Marikina, Mandaluyong, Manila and Makati.

Malabon had also passed a similar ordinance but the measure was recalled to address what Mayor Antolin Oreta then called “loopholes,’’ mainly the concerns of plastics manufacturers based in the city.