'Reusable Bag Day' starts today

MANILA, Philippines - Today marks the start of “Reusable Bag Day” that is covered by a memorandum of understanding recently signed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and major shopping malls where free plastic bags would no longer be used on Wednesdays.

Environment Secretary Ramon Paje said incentives would be given to shoppers who will use reusable bags in supermarkets.

“The incentives, which will be provided to encourage this change in the behavior of consumers, shall be left to the discretion of the management of participating supermarkets. These could be in the form of rebates, points, actual cash incentives for every plastic bag saved or any other scheme pursuant to their own promotion scheme,” he explained.

Paje said malls and supermarkets would charge customers a fee for plastic bags during the Reusable Bag Day every Wednesday.

DENR records showed that 756,986 kilograms of garbage or debris were collected from both shoreline and waterways during cleanup operations conducted last year. Plastic bags made up 300,176 kilos or less than half of the garbage.

In cooperation with the Earth Day Network Philippines Inc., the National Solid Waste Management Commission, the Philippine Amalgamated Supermarkets Association, and the Philippine Retailers Association together with major malls like SM, Rustan’s, Robinsons, Isetann, Ever, Makro, Hi-top among others, the DENR launched the “Reusable Bag Campaign” to promote the use of reusable bags.

If a shopper asks for a plastic bag they will be charged for every bag they get. Each stakeholder or supermarket owner is free to set the price for each plastic bag that a customer requests. This will serve as a disincentive to encourage customers to bring their own bags instead.

Paje said promotion of reusable bags would be done through printing and putting up of posters in strategic areas in supermarkets.

The poster design shall have space for the supermarket’s logo.

“We leave the discretion to management as to the location of the said posters within the supermarkets,” Paje said.

He urged shoppers to make it a habit to bring their own bags and refrain from using plastics, which he regarded as a major contributor that caused floods during typhoons like the typhoon “Ondoy” that caused massive floods in Metro Manila and destroyed lives and property last year.

Paje lamented that despite the flooding in almost all regions and the collective efforts done in the past, garbage and plastic bags continue to clog rivers and esteros nationwide.

Former Environment secretary Elisea Gozun and now president of Earth Day Network said the campaign will be a positive campaign and shall focus on the reusable bags rather than an “anti-plastic” message.

“This is important because we do not want the consumers to become defensive. Instead, we want them to become pro-active in becoming responsible citizens of the Earth,” she said.

Paje stressed that the agreement calls for a concerted effort in the shift of public consciousness from using plastic bags to reusable bags to address the environmental hazard posed by improper disposal of plastic bags by clients.

Earth Day Network Philippines shall act as the campaign coordinator while the National Solid Waste Management Commission shall assist in securing government support for the campaign both at the national and local levels, and provide technical assistance regarding solid waste management and the hazards of plastic use, among others.