Reusable bags useful in waste management, says DENR

The Department of Environment and Natural
Resources (DENR) said Thursday reusable or recycled bags are useful in
waste management and it helps solve the country’s garbage problem,
too.

DENR Secretary Ramon Paje said this during the launch of the reusable
bag campaign at the DENR Central Office in Diliman, Quezon City.

Paje said partnership is the key as DENR cannot solve the Philippines’
solid waste management problem alone.

“We believe, and we know each of us is a contributor, each of us is a
solution to the problem,” Paje said.

He also said to prevent a repeat of the massive flooding brought by
typhoon “Ondoy” that claimed hundreds of lives last year, the DENR and
a non-government environmental groups have joined hands in the
reusable bag campaign which aims to address the use of disposable
plastic bags in groceries and shopping places.

The DENR, Earth Day Network Philippines, Inc. together with the
National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC), the Philippine
Amalgamated Markets Association, Philippine Retailers Association
(PRA) and major malls and markets jointly launched the campaign called
“PagbaBAG ko, PagbaBAGo!” (My bag, my change).

Former DENR Secretary and EDWPI head Elisea Gozun said the campaign
was launched to prevent the occurrence of flooding since the clogging
of Metro Manila’s drainage system are mostly caused by discarded
plastic bags.

Highlighting the event is signing of agreement between the DENR,
NSWMC, Earth Day Network, Inc., associations of retail and wholesale
firms and supermarkets.

Hundreds of lives lost and millions peso worth of properties literally
went down the drain as typhoon "Ondoy" hit Metro Manila last September
26, 2009.

Typhoon Ondoy poured a month’s worth of rain for only 6 hours and
swelled Pasig River and its tributaries inundating Metro Manila cities
and the Greater Manila Area.

Aside from this, the clogging of Metro Manila's drainage system with
plastic and other garbage contributed to the worst flooding in recent
history.

The project is held in cooperation with the Philippine Amalgamated
Supermarkets Association (PAGASA), Philippine Retailers Association
(PRA) together with the major malls and supermarkets in the country
launches PagbaBAG Ko, PagbaBAGo!:

The PagbaBAG Ko, PagbaBAGo!: A Reusable Bag Campaign aims to: a) raise
environmental awareness of the consumers on the harmful effects of
indiscriminately using non-biodegradable plastic;

b) reduce the use of plastic bags by an industry-wide initiative to
promote the use of re-usable bags; and,
c) influence the industry and more importantly, the consumers to a
gradual shift to the use of reusable bags by an initial once a week
Reusable Bag Day.

The Launch featured moments of silence for the Ondoy victims with an
AVP of Heal Our Land, the campaign overview by Gozun, messages of
support from the government, Ms. Emelita Aguinaldo of NSWMC, and from
the private sector, Mr. Steven Cua of PAGASA and a mini-fashion show
of the stakeholder's reusable bags.

Stakeholders of the campaign are EDNPI, Department of Environment and
Natural Resources (DENR), National Solid Waste Management Commission
(NSWMC), (PAGASA), Philippine Retailers Association (PRA).

Ever Supermarket, Hi-Top Supermarket, Inc., Isetann Department Store,
Inc., Pilipinas Makro, Inc., Robinsons Supermarket Corporation,
Sanford Marketing Corporation – Savemore Markets,

Super Shopping Market Inc – SM Hypermarkets, Super Value Inc. – SM
Supermarkets, and Rustan’s Supercenters Inc. – Rustan’s Supermarket,
Shopwise.

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