Amendments to RA 9003 expected to hold manufacturers responsible for plastic waste

AMENDMENTS to the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, or Republic Act (RA) 9003, are expected to make plastic products manufacturers more accountable for waste products, a senior legislator said.

Senator Cynthia A. Villar, who chairs that chamber’s agriculture and food committee, said that amendments, expected to be signed into law this year, will help lay the groundwork for dealing with plastic waste.

“According to a University of Georgia study, the Philippines ranked third next to China and Indonesia among the 192 countries surveyed in terms of volume of plastic produced by the population that could potentially enter the seas and oceans,” she said.

Citing a United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization report, Ms. Villar said that plastic in the water will result in loss of livelihood for fishing communities and reduce the volume of marine products available for consumption.

“I am speaking to big consumer product companies that are big users of plastics to join the government effort towards environmental protection,” she added.

Ms. Villar said the Philippine market makes heavy use of sachets because they are more affordable than larger-volume containers.

Ms. Villar said manufacturers will be held responsible for managing the life cycle of plastic waste they generate via a buyback mechanism or a sustainable recycling program.

“Part of the amendment I am planning for the solid waste management law is to make those manufacturers more accountable. If these companies are responsible, the legislative reforms should not be an issue for them,” she said adding that penalties being considered include fines. —