GMA wants single-use plastic bags banned

MANILA, Philippines – Former president and now Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is proposing that the use of plastic bags be banned in stores nationwide.

In Bill 3579, Arroyo, who represents Pampanga’s second district, said the use of reusable plastic bags should be promoted as a way of reducing water and air pollution and protecting marine life from the ill effects of plastic products.           

“Oftentimes immediately discarded, single-use plastic bags are found in landfills and have become a significant cause of water pollution. In addition, plastic bags that are burned adversely impact the environment and human health, given the level of toxic chemical content,” she said.

She noted that the Earth Policy Institute based in Washington estimates that one trillion single-use plastic bags are used every year at a rate of two million per minute.

Many of these bags end up killing marine animals such as sea turtles, whales and other species, Arroyo said.

“Fish with plastic wrapper around their body, sea turtles with plastic in their noses, and even birds with their stomachs full of plastic bottle caps broke hearts and opened minds to the harmful effects of our consumer-driven society,” she said.

Under her bill, plastics bags would be banned in point-of-sale stores. Instead, the establishments will be required to offer recyclable paper bags. Customers can bring their own bags.

The proposed prohibition will also cover all retail and food establishments, including canteens and cafeterias.

Exempted from the prohibition will be primary plastic packaging such as those used to pre-pack food items and primary packaging used in the manufacturing of finished products for sale in the general market.

To promote the use of reusable bags, the government, through the Department of Trade and Industry, will be mandated to provide technical and financial assistance to manufacturers of such bags.

For instance, Arroyo said individuals, cooperatives, partnerships, and corporations that manufacture reusable bags could be given incentives under the Philippine Cooperative Code of 2008, Barangay Micro-Business Enterprise Act of 2002, Magna Carta for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, or the Omnibus Investment Code of 1987, where applicable.

Workers in the plastic industry can be given alternative livelihood opportunities in coordination with Technology Education and Skills Department Authority (TESDA), plastic manufacturers, non-government and civil society organizations and institutions, she said.

Arroyo proposed a fine ranging from P5,000 for the first offense and P500,000 plus suspension of license for the fourth offense.

Local government units will be designated as the principal implementers of the proposed law.

The ban on plastic bags has had mixed results.

In places where plastic bags have been banned, double-layer paper bags have served as replacements, adding to the depletion of trees.