Bill wants establishments to charge P2 per plastic straw

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Sonny Angara has filed Senate Bill No. 952, which seeks to mandate all commercial establishments to charge customers P2 for each plastic drinking straw in a bid to reduce the use of plastic.

The bill, titled “Proposed Straw Regulation Act,” will require establishment — including supermarkets and sari-sari stores — to charge customers for using plastic straws instead of banning its use.

“Plastic straws will only be provided upon request by the customers. We should consciously put a stop to the practice of automatically providing straws to customers upon buying their beverages,” Angara said in a statement on Saturday.

Under the bill, pre-packed drinks such as juice in boxes should not be sold with attached plastic straws and should “instead be provided at the point-of-sale for the same P2 per straw fee.”

However, plastic straws or tubes used for medical purposes — such as those used by senior citizens and persons with disabilities — are exempted from this bill.

Establishments found violating the provisions of the measure will be meted with a fine of up to P10,000 for the first offense; up to P20,000 for the second offense and up to P50,000 and cancellation for business permits for the succeeding offenses.

The money taken from the fines will be turned over to environmental programs, including the protection and cleanup of rivers, seas and oceans.

/atm