DENR, DTI to identify firms obliged to register with EPR

CEBU, Philippines — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-7) will work closely with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI-7) to identify companies that are considered obliged enterprises (OEs) to implement the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Law.

The Philippines’ EPR law is an environmental policy approach that encourages plastic waste reduction through; the elimination of unnecessary plastic packaging of products; the development of more environmentally friendly and recyclable packaging design; and the recovery of plastic packaging from the trash in order to reuse them.

DENR-7 regional director Ma. Victoria V. Abrera said in Cebu City the agency targets at least 70 OEs to register with the EPR, including Robinsons Summit by the end of October 2023. But DENR will also coordinate with the DTI regional office to draw up the exact number of OEs in the entire Cebu province.

Nationwide, DENR and the DTI have identified approximately 4,000 companies falling under the jurisdiction of the EPR Law. In Cebu, Abrera mentioned that she is still in the process of coordinating with the local DTI regional office here.

Recently, DENR officials led by undersecretary for policy, planning, and international affairs Jonas Leones, together with Nestle Philippines held the second leg of the “Rethinking Plastics: EPR Paving the Way Towards Circularity'' roundtable discussion at the Bai Hotel in Mandaue City, Cebu with the aim of encouraging more OEs to register their EPR programs.

OEs are large enterprises with total assets of over P100 million that produce, manufacture, import, or put their brand label on plastics. Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) are not required, but highly encouraged, to also register their EPR programs.

DENR aims to get OEs to register their EPR programs with the DENR-Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) to meet the law’s required 20 percent recovery and diversion of their plastic footprint by this year.

Under the EPR legislation, major corporations will be mandated to institute a comprehensive framework for the recovery of their plastic packaging materials. This entails assuming accountability for the efficient and responsible management of these products post-consumer use. This encompasses a wide range of items, such as plastic bags, bottles, and containers. The overarching goal of this law is to curtail the generation of plastic waste and actively promote recycling initiatives.

To help companies understand what EPR is and how they might undertake an EPR program, the DENR has been holding webinars and workshops with various industry associations to spread awareness about the EPR law and its provisions, as well as the EPR registration process.

“We are here to assist. We have EPR clinics. We can help you with the procedures on how to register and we can guide you on the requirements of the EPR law. Together, if we can help each other, perhaps at the end of the day, we can comply with the provisions of the law,” said Leones.

The event provided participants guidance on the process of registration and presented opportunities on how they could work together with the government to help ensure the successful implementation of the EPR Law.

Moreover, EPR Registry clinics were set up by DENR, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), to further assist OEs in creating and submitting their EPR programs.

There were three RTDs dedicated for participants to dive deeper into the ins and outs of the EPR Law implementation: (1) investing in infrastructure, (2) increasing compliance through data and information, and (3) deepening long-term multi-stakeholder collaboration. Insights and recommendations shared during the respective discussions were presented to the audience afterward.

Since the DENR’s EPR campaign launch in August, there has been an increase in EPR submissions from 667 to 709 as of mid-September. DENR and other government partners in EPR implementation, business groups, and civil society organizations continue to proactively campaign for EPR support, recognizing that cleaning up plastic waste from the environment not only restores the planet but protects human health, livelihoods, and food security.

The EPR education and registration drive organized by the DENR and Nestlé Philippines is supported by UNDP, GIZ, the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP), and Eco-Business. The third leg of the caravan will be held in Cagayan de Oro City on October 6, 2023, to reach more OEs and businesses.

In a separate interview with Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) president Kelie Ko, he said that while the EPR Law is good and beneficial, this would be another need for additional investment for companies to focus on EPR implementation, additional costs for personnel training on EPR, and the high cost of acquiring and establishing treatment facilities for plastic products’ recycling, treatment and disposal processes.

However, Ko emphasized that the chamber is willing to collaborate with the Mandaue City government to jointly devise mutually beneficial solutions for the full implementation of EPR in Mandaue. — (FREEMAN)