Good news for Mother Earth!
The Philippine House of Representatives has already approved a bill (House Bill 4840, to be known as “Plastic Bag Regulation Act of 2011″) banning non-biodegradable plastic bags and requiring the store owners to provide biodegradable plastic bags to customers.
Here is an article from the Manila Bulletin (source: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/332273/measure-boosts-plastic-bag-ban) about this bill:
Measure boosts plastic bag ban
MANILA, Philippines — The campaign to ban non-biodegradable plastic bags got a big boost after the House of Representatives approved on third and final reading a bill requiring the store owners to provide biodegradable plastic bags to customers.
To be known as the Plastic Bag Regulation Act of 2011, House Bill 4840 is an initiative to address the impact of climate change.
Under the bill, stores are mandated to implement an in-store recovery program in which the customers can return the plastic bags they had used.
“The recovery system will lead citizens to exert effort and give their due share in protecting the environment by bringing used plastic bags to stores and commercial establishments which in turn shall provide the logistics for recovery of these plastic shopping bags,” Caloocan City Rep. Oscar Malapitan, the bill’s principal author, said
HB 4840 also provides that the bags must have a logo showing that they are biodegradable, with a printed note saying “please return to any store for recycling.”
Under the measure, all business establishments shall have their own plastic bag recovery bins, which shall be visible and accessible to the customers.
For their part, the local government units (LGUs) shall be tasked to collect, recycle and dispose of all plastic bags recovered by the stores.
“The State must ensure that contaminants to the environment, such as plastic and plastic bags, be prevented from being introduced into the ecosystem,” Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, who co-authored the bill, said.
It is expected that after the implementation of the HB 4840, there will be a phase out of non-biodegradable plastic bags within three years.
