MANDAUE. At least two trucks of trash, particularly plastic waste, are collected in the Mahiga Creek in Barangay Subangdaku per week during its weekly cleanup drive. (Photo courtesy of Subangdaku Barangay Captain Ernie Manatad)
THE Extended Producer Responsibility Act of 2022 (EPRA) or Republic Act 11898 may soon be localized by Mandaue City Government through the creation of an ordinance, and the Mandaue Chamber of Commerce Industry (MCCI) has stated its desire to work with the city.
On Friday, September 1, 2023, Kelly Ko, president of MCCI, told SunStar Cebu that they are prepared to work with the government to come up with a “win-win” solution to reduce plastic waste in Mandaue.
Ko acknowledged, however, that if the rule is put into practice, the Mandaue plastic makers may have trouble coming up with effective strategies to speed up plastic recycling.
Ko pointed out that some city-based plastic producers distribute their goods outside of Mandaue.
He also mentioned that a lot of high-value garbage, including PET bottles, which are frequently used for soft drinks and mineral water, is collected and taken to junkyards and recycling facilities, making it challenging to monitor and assign credit to any particular company.
Ko also underlined that in addition to the business community, the project also needs the support of the general public to be successful.
“To put this in context, Sweden, a country at the forefront of sustainability, can only recycle 84 percent of its waste,” Ko added.
Ko questioned how private businesses could gather 80 percent of their plastic garbage by 2026.
“The Mandaue City Government understands this predicament. Thus, they are willing to discuss with us to come up with a win-win solution, to ensure better compliance and, ultimately, to move forward in our sustainability goals. We are working with them to create an enabling environment to follow the spirit of the law,” he added.
Last month, Architect Araceli Barlam, head of the Mandaue City Environment Natural Resources Office (MCENRO), announced that they would talk with City Councilor Jennifer del Mar, chairman of the Committee on Environment, about proposing a local policy patterned after the EPR law.
Under the EPR law, large businesses must properly and effectively recover, treat, recycle, or dispose of their products once they have been sold and consumed.
Medium-scale enterprises are likewise urged to adhere to the guidelines, although they are not required to.
The law covers flexible plastic, whether single-layer or multi-layered with other materials, such as sachets, labels, laminates, and other packaging used to carry, protect, or pack items for transportation, distribution, or sale.
Barlam underlined that the program will assist the city reduce plastic waste but also noted that some EPR law regulations might not be applicable locally.
Del Mar added that in order to protect all stakeholders, they still need to thoroughly review the law and make sure that it aligns with local governance practices.
“We are studying asa mo fit ang Mandaue City, so we wanted to draft an ordinance so that they get what Mandaue needs,” Del Mar said.
Barlam added that in addition to meeting with the MCCI, they will coordinate with the city’s Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO) to identify how many plastic-producing companies in Mandaue may be impacted once the law is implemented.
Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes ordered the strengthening of garbage segregation in 2021 and that the “no segregation, no collection” rule be implemented.
In September 2018, the city government also signed a contract to recycle used plastics with private company Guun Corp. (HIC)
