BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan wants business establishments in the city to voluntarily shift to the use of biodegradable plastics in their daily transactions to lessen non-biodegradable waste in the city.
“We appeal to our department store and grocery owners to voluntarily shift to the use of biodegradable plastics to help in our efforts to reduce the volume of waste generated from the said establishments and allow residents to maximize the use of the plastics for their daily use,” Domogan stressed.
He claimed the biggest contributors to the volume of plastic waste in the city are the department and grocery stores, and supermarkets, thus, these must shift to biodegradable plastics to help significantly reduce the volume of waste generated in the city.
The local legislative body is ironing out amendments to the anti-plastic ordinance to incorporate the concerns on the use of biodegradable plastics in the city, increase the penalties for violators and provide the prescribed rules and regulations for the strict implementation of the ordinance to help significantly reduce the volume of generated waste in the establishments and residences.
According to him, businesses should not wait for the passage of these revisions. While biodegradable plastic would cost the establishment owners thrice more than the ordinary plastics, business establishment owners could pass on to their patrons the aforesaid cost or decide to solely shoulder the said cost.
However, he explained the shift to biodegradable plastic use should not only be the obligation of businessmen but residents should shift to the use of traditional buri bags, eco bags, biodegradable plastics, among others, when shopping, as their contribution to waste management efforts.
Based on the latest Waste Analysis and Characterization Survey (WACS), the city produces at least 402 tons of assorted garbage daily.
At present, the city is hauling out to the Tarlac sanitary landfill more or less 130 tons of residual waste daily costing an annual appropriation of more than P70 million.
By Dexter A. See
