Proposed tax on single-use plastics opposed

A trade association of exporters is objecting to the proposed tax on single-use plastics.

Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr., president of Philippine Exporters Federation, said that imposing a tax on this frequently used material on packaging and containers supposedly to protect the environment is a misnomer.

“If you get rid of plastic … you will increase dependence on paper. You will need to cut more trees for that,” Ortiz-Luis Jr. told reporters.

He also said that taxing single-use plastics would lead to a substantial increase in costs for both businesses and consumers, suggesting that the government should instead focus on other measures to address the perceived negative impact of plastic use on the environment.

“The problem is we cannot collect it [properly], we have no discipline. So, we cannot process it. That is the issue we should focus on addressing first because the cost will be big if we prohibit the use of plastic,” he said.

RELATED STORIES

Microplastics: Why we now already breathe, ingest killer plastics

Filipinos losing war against single-use plastics – DENR

—Alden M. Monzon