Lawmaker pushes passage of zero waste lifestyle bill

ALEADER of the House of Representatives is pushing for the passage of a bill seeking to advocate a zero waste lifestyle by institutionalizing the practice of extended producer responsibility (EPR).

In House Bill 8691, or the proposed Extended Producer Responsibility Act of 2021, Deputy Speaker and Las Piñas Rep. Camille Villar said her proposal aims to require producers to manage the impacts of their products throughout their entire life cycle, including take-back, recycling and proper disposal.

The bill seeks to amend Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.

The EPR concept shifts the responsibility to importers and brand owners for the environmental impacts of their plastic products and packaging, which will effectively tackle the plastic pollution problem.

“This may be a new concept for us but this practice has already been observed by several organizations worldwide. As we introduce this concept, we heighten the importance of waste segregation among households and hold manufacturers accountable for their post-consumer items and packaging,” said Villar.

“Through this measure, we intend to advance awareness on EPR programs although some private organizations and business entities have already adopted such mechanisms in some areas. Also, we are hopeful that Filipinos will pool their used plastic and packaging materials and learn to increase the recycling rate, reuse, or dispose of them at the cost of the manufacturers,” Villar added.

According to Villar, the recycling rate of post-consumption plastic packaging among Filipinos is also relatively low.

Plastic waste makes up a significant share of the overall generated waste in the Philippines. In fact, the Philippines is the third-biggest polluter next to China and Indonesia. It produces 2.7 million metric tons of plastic waste each year.

Under the measure, producers are required to adopt producer responsibility schemes for the proper management of wastes generated from their discarded containers and packaging materials. Incentives also await firms that adopt extended producer schemes.

Villar added that the measure, if passed into law, will also help local governments that pay hefty amounts annually for solid waste disposal, and such funds could be used for more social programs.