Weekend ban on single-use plastics ignored

DESPITE THE government ban on single use plastic bags in Zamboanga during Saturdays and Sundays, many commercial establishments continue to ignore the order.

Reynaldo Gonzales, the chief of the Office of the City Environment and Natural Resources (OCENR), has repeatedly told establishments to follow the order. The OCENR even spearheaded a motorcade in celebrating the World Environment month which focuses on the rampant use of plastics which is hazardous to the environment.

Just last month, Raymond Padayhag, from the Office of the City Mayor, met with representatives of various shopping malls and supermarkets to reiterate the implementation of Executive Order BC453-2019 signed by Mayor Beng Climaco.

Climaco signed the order in February 2019 banning the use of non-biodegradable plastic bags during weekends as part of the local government’s ecological solid waste management program. 

The order enjoins all business establishments, markets and residents not tom use plastic bags and Climaco urged shoppers and market goers here to use paper or buri bags instead of non-biodegradable plastics, and for establishments, especially shopping malls and supermarkets, to make use of eco bags for their customers. 

But despite this, grocery stores and public and supermarkets continue to violate Climaco’s order. Shop-o-Rama and Yubenco Supermarket are also top violators of this order and continue to use plastic bag during weekends. And now KCC Mall de Zamboanga is also using plastic bags during weekends. 

Climaco said most plastic bags are considered as non-biodegradable being made of polymer substance known as polyethylene that cannot easily be decomposed by microorganisms and shall remain as environmental pollutant, thus posing health risk. 

According to Climaco, data on waste characterization showed that non-biodegradable waste accounts for 40% of the total garbage disposed and 17% of this constitutes plastics. 

The order, she added, is complementary to the existing broad-based and comprehensive approach policy on solid waste management. “This (executive order) is an initial priority action on waste reduction for non-biodegradable materials towards the enactment of an ordinance, proposing an inclusive approach to regulate the use of non-biodegradable and disposable plastic sando bags and the like as bagging materials, including the enforcement of regulatory procedures on the use and trade, and the penalty clause thereof,” she said. 

Climaco also instructed the Zamboanga City Health Office and Zamboanga City Environment and Natural Resources Office to conduct massive information and education campaign on the effects to the environment of the use of plastic bags. 

The local government also imposed a ban on the single-use plastics on both Great and Little Santa Cruz Islands to combat pollution and protect the environment. Those going to the islands were told to bring their own reusable containers, baskets or eco-bags for their provisions, and prohibited the bringing of plastic bags, cups and spoons, forks water bottles and anything made from Styrofoam and even plastic wrappers of ice candies, among others. 

According to plasticfreechallenge.org, single-use plastics or disposable plastics such as grocery bags, straws, coffee stirrers, soda and water bottles and most food packaging are used only once before they are thrown away or recycled. 

It said only 10-13% of 300 million tons of plastic are recycled each year because the nature of petroleum based disposable plastic makes it difficult to recycle and they have to add new virgin materials and chemicals to it to do so. Additionally there are a limited number of items that recycled plastic can be used. 

“Petroleum based plastic is not biodegradable and usually goes into a landfill where it is buried or it gets into the water and finds its way into the ocean. Although plastic will not biodegrade (decompose into natural substance like soil,) it will degrade (break down) into tiny particles after many years. In the process of breaking down, it releases toxic chemicals (additives that were used to shape and harden the plastic) which make their way into our food and water supply,” it said. 

“These toxic chemicals are now being found in our bloodstream and the latest research has found them to disrupt the Endocrine system which can cause cancer, infertility, birth defects, impaired immunity and many other ailments,” it added. (Zamboanga Post)