The Philippines may soon ban plastic softdrink straws and plastic coffee stirrers, following the National Solid Waste Management Commission’s approval, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources said Wednesday.
The NSWMC has approved adding plastic softdrink straws and plastic coffee stirrers in the list of non-environmentally acceptable products (NEAP), which may be banned soon as part of the implementation of Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.
Undersecretary for Solid Waste Management and Local Government Units Concerns and NSWMC alternate chairperson Benny Antiporda presided over the virtual en banc meeting last Tuesday and came up with a draft resolution declaring plastic softdrink straw and plastic coffee stirrer as NEAP.
The resolution got 11 votes for approval and three votes for disapproval of the two items.
The resolution was passed despite heavy resistance from some members of the commission, such as the Department of Trade and Industry, and the manufacturing and recycling industries.
“I am elated that after 20 years since the birth of RA 9003, the NEAP listing has now commenced. This is long overdue, and we need to catch up with the demand of solid waste management in our country,” Antiporda said.
“This is a significant milestone for NSWMC, and for the Filipino people. We have long been fighting for and we are committed to having a NEAP list to comply with the law to combat environmental damage,” he added.
The approved resolution came at a perfect time as the world celebrated Wednesday the International Straw Free Day.
“The prohibition on these two single-use plastic items may be small steps in the NEAP listing, but it is a big leap when it comes to compliance with the provisions of RA 9003,” the DENR official said.
“This global celebration aims to encourage the public to go straw-free and say ‘no straw please’ when ordering drinks,” he noted.
Pursuant to Section 29 of RA 9003, “Within one year from the effectivity of this Act, the Commission shall, after public notice and hearing, prepare a list of non-environmentally acceptable products as defined in this Act that shall be prohibited according to a schedule that shall be prepared by the Commission.”
Antiporda lamented that it was only two decades after the law was passed when the commission came up with a list of NEAP.