Daily Tribune
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources on Friday said it is joining forces with other national government agencies to integrate the Extended Producer Responsibility Act of 2022 into their respective programs and initiatives to support its drive for companies to comply with the law.
Solid waste management — once the sole responsibility of local government units under Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 — has evolved with Republic Act 11898, or the Extended Producers Responsibility Act, which lapsed into law in July 2022.
The measure compels large companies, called Obliged Enterprises, to implement EPR programs, focusing on efficient plastic packaging waste management, reduced plastic production, importation, supply and usage, and promoting plastic neutrality via recovery and diversion methods.
Under the EPR Act, Obliged Enterprises are firms with total assets of over P100-million and are mandated by law to recover or divert 20 percent of their plastic footprint or the waste generated after their products have been sold and used by consumers by end 2023.
DENR Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga said that she is advocating for a holistic approach involving the entire government and society to tackle the pressing issue of plastic pollution which stressed the need for convergence and a shared purpose to achieve circularity.
"We are committed to continue on this journey by strategic engagement for the implementation of the EPR law. This includes scaling up of waste reduction, recovery and repurposing, and supporting product innovation that will catalyze circular economy," Loyzaga said.
