Mandaue biz chamber seeks waste reduction collab
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
Daily TribuneUnder the EPR law, large businesses must properly and effectively recover, treat, recycle or dispose of their products once they have been sold and consumed
The Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry disclosed on Monday that it is prepared to work with the city government to come up with a "win-win" solution to reduce plastic waste in Mandaue City, Cebu province.
"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," said MCCI president Kelly Ko in a statement.
This comes as Mandaue City Environment and Natural Resources Office head Architect Araceli Barlam announced that they will talk with City Councilor Jennifer del Mar — chairperson of the City Council's Committee on Environment — about proposing a local ordinance patterned with Extended Producer Responsibility Act of 2022 or Republic Act 11898.
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.
However, Ko acknowledged that should the rule will be put into practices, the Mandaue plastic makers may have trouble coming up with effective strategies to speed up plastic recycling.
He pointed out that some city-based plastic producers distribute their goods outside of Mandaue, adding that a lot of high-value garbage which include PET bottles used for soft drinks and mineral water are collected and taken to junkyards and recycling facilities, making it challenging to monitor and assign credit to any particular company.
Barlam said that in addition to meeting with MCCI, they will coordinate with the city's Business Permit and Licensing Office to identify how many plastic-producing companies in Mandaue may be impacted once the law is implemented.
