Quezon City, Philippines – Pollution watchdog EcoWaste Coalition raises alarm on the proposed Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) bill on plastic packaging waste and asks President Rodrigo Duterte to scrap said proposed bill.
“Institutionalizing EPR mechanisms is a welcome development in our push for a plastic-free Philippines. Sadly, the proposed EPR bill by congress promotes greenwashing and false solutions allowing plastic polluters to just continue their wasteful business practices at the expense of the environment and our communities,” said Coleen Salamat, Plastic Solutions Campaigner of EcoWaste Coalition.
According to the group, a genuine EPR follows the concept of ‘polluters’ pay principle’ that puts greater responsibility on those who pollute more, such as the plastic industry and producers of fast-moving consumer goods.
“The current trend on the initiatives of consistent top polluters like Nestle, Procter and Gamble, Unilever, Coca-Cola, still heavily rely on cement kilns, chemical recycling, and other false solutions that burn or melt single-use plastics. These false solutions are not just a threat to the environment but also a public health concern. Schemes like these do not reduce or prevent waste but also contribute to worsening of air pollution,” said Salamat.
“The current EPR bill is not a precedent that polluters will be held accountable since it does not penalize producers for prohibited acts on the production, use, distribution, and importation of non-environmentally acceptable products and packaging,” added Salamat.
In 2019, a research by Nature Climate Change found that if plastic was a country, it would be the fifth largest emitter in the world.
“We urge President Duterte to stay true to the Philippines commitment of 75% reduction of domestic emission by 2030. We are in a defining moment for our climate, we need lasting zero waste solutions that do not further contribute to the warming of our planet,” said Salamat.
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For more information, please contact:
EcoWaste Coalition
info@ecowastecoalition.org
