Congress asked to ban single-use plastics to prevent ‘Undas’ trash surge
Pro-environmental group EcoWaste Coalition has called on Congress to enact a law that will phase out and eventually ban single-use plastics (SUPs) to help reduce the country’s growing volume of garbage, following this year’s observance of “Undas” (All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day).
The group issued the call after monitoring plastic waste scattered across public and private cemeteries in Bataan, Bulacan, Pampanga, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal and Metro Manila—including the Manila North and South cemeteries—from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2.
Among the single-use plastics observed were plastic bags, bottles, cups, cutlery, straws and polystyrene food and beverage containers, according to EcoWaste.
“We urge our lawmakers to prioritize the enactment of a law that will phase out and eventually ban the production and consumption of SUPs,” EcoWaste campaigner Ochie Tolentino said in a statement on Monday.
Long overdue
“This long-overdue pollution prevention legislation will surely help reduce the volume as well as the toxicity of what we throw away every day, especially during Undas and other cultural celebrations,” he added.
EcoWaste noted that while less litter was observed inside cemeteries due to the efforts of street sweepers and regular cleanups, streets outside cemetery compounds from Nov. 1 to Nov. 2 were still littered with assorted garbage, including food packaging and leftovers.
“Less litter and less garbage will be generated in the future Undas if SUPs are phased out, if local government units effectively enforce existing plastic ban ordinances, and if Republic Act [No.] 9003-compliant waste management systems are implemented inside and outside cemeteries, memorial parks, and columbaria,” the group said.
RA 9003, also known as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, aims to protect public health and the environment by promoting sustainable waste prevention and reduction practices, including source reduction, reuse, recycling, composting and proper disposal.
But Tolentino emphasized that simply placing trash bins for mixed waste in cemeteries is not enough, as garbage still needs to be properly segregated to ensure efficient recycling, prevent contamination and minimize the amount of residual waste that ends up in landfills.
