Senator Loren Legarda on Tuesday renewed her call for Filipinos to embrace recyclable materials and play an active role in promoting a more sustainable waste management cycle, in line with the observance of National Zero Waste Month.

In a statement, Legarda, who authored and primarily sponsored Republic Act 9003, also known as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, highlighted the country’s status as one of the leading ocean polluters globally, mainly due to its reliance on single-use plastics.

“It is time to break free from this harmful practice by harnessing our ingenuity and resourcefulness to develop and promote reusable alternatives for our everyday lives,” she stressed.

The country has been observing National Zero Waste Month every January since the late President Benigno S. Aquino III signed Proclamation No. 760 in 2014.

The proclamation urges all government agencies and instrumentalities to participate in endeavors related to the celebration.