Saturdays are “No Plastic Day”

CEBU, Philippines -  The Cebu City Council passed last week the new Plastic Ordinance that will regulate the use and sale of plastic  shopping bags once a week in all establishments in Cebu City.

The ordinance authored by committee on environment chairman Nida Cabrera designated Saturday as the no-plastic day which means no business establishment in Cebu City shall use plastic shopping bags as primary packaging materials every Saturday.

The establishments must educate their customers to use empty containers, sack or cloth bag or woven bags in packing their purchased goods or merchandise. They may also opt to provide non-plastic containers to their costumers.

Violators of this ordinance shall be imposed with a P2,000 fine during the first year of the implementation of the ordinance. After that, the fine will be P5,000 or imprisonment of not more than six months upon the discretion of the court and cancellation of the business permit for at least one year.

First time offenders may however agree to pay the compromise penalty of P1,000 within seven working days after the apprehension.

Those who will not pay the compromise fine will be filed with criminal case for violation of the ordinance.

After a year from the implementation of the ordinance, the regulation will be expanded to two days a week which will be every Wednesday and Saturday.

The ordinance also mandates all establishments to provide incentives to bring their own empty containers or recycled bags.

Each establishment must have a plastic bag recovery bin for plastics that will be returned by the customers.

The plastics to be collected shall be deposited to accredited manufacturer, supplier, or traders of plastic bags for recycling purposes.

The plastic ordinance is seen as the first step to the total banning of plastics in Cebu City.

Plastics is reportedly the main cause of the clogging of drainage system resulting in flooding. Plastics also hurt the marine life and lead to a waste of resources.

The ordinance shall take effect after the formulation of the Implementing Rules and Regulation. Cabrera said the establishment will have enough time to prepare. —JPM (FREEMAN)