Group supports measure on plastic ban in Cebu

An organization has thrown its support for the passage of a legislative measure that would prohibit the use of plastic shopping bags in Cebu City.

Fr. Romeo Cagatin, executive director of the Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation-Integrated Development Inc. (JPICIDC), said one of the goals that the organization would want to achieve in the next five years is to advocate the “no plastic policy” in all local government units.

“Although it is limited to the prohibiting of the use of plastic shopping bags, it is already a very good step, to slowly reduce the use of plastic and hopefully to arrive at a ‘No Plastic Policy' in the years to come,” he said in his position paper.

On Tuesday, the City Council is set to conduct a public hearing on the proposed ordinance that Councilor Raymond Alvin Garcia has submitted.

“It's banning plastic bags. Then we can amend to ban plastic straws, utensils, bottles, cups, etcetera,” he told The FREEMAN.

Garcia proposed to totally ban the use of plastic shopping bags in the city. The existing ordinance only prohibits the use of plastic shopping bags every Wednesday and Saturday.

Cagatin said the group will support the passage of the proposed ordinance as it comes right in time of their advocacy to eliminate plastics on the city's streets, canals, and other waterways.

“Plastic is a petroleum product and it is a substance the earth cannot digest. It is non-biodegradable. It is being said that the decomposition of plastic will take around 1,000 years. It is toxic and understandably a health hazard,” he said.

Cagatin said plastics are serious threat not only to living beings but also to all species on earth and the environment. If the indiscriminate use of plastics will not be addressed, he said the ocean will have more plastic than fish in 2050.

He said it is being used as convenience during shopping, since plastic shopping bags are given for free by the establishments.

Unmindful of its harmful effects, the people are throwing it anywhere, thereby causing flooding as it clogs up the city's drainage system and the waterways.

Passing an ordinance prohibiting the use of plastic bags is not enough, he said.

“It is equally important to deputize law enforcers to reprimand and penalize people throwing plastic materials everywhere they like,” Cagatin said.

He added that education and discipline among the people are essential in making the law efficient.

He said social and political capital is needed to implement the policy as the issue on the use of plastic has to be taken holistically.

Aside from banning plastics in the city, he said there's a need to inculcate in the people's mentality how to properly dispose their plastic garbage.

Further, Cagatin said the city has to implement an efficient solid waste management system in order to totally address this issue.