Bacolod Plastics Ordinance Reintroduced

The proposed ordinance prohibiting the use of plastic bags and Styrofoam as containers for food that had earlier failed to get the support of the Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod, has been reintroduced by Bacolod Councilor Em Legaspi-Ang.

The ordinance aims to prohibit the use, sale and provision of plastic bags as packaging materials in Bacolod City, and another ordinance prohibiting the use, sale and provision of expanded polystyrene foam or Styrofoam, as containers for food and beverages.

Both proposed ordinances were approved by the SP on first reading Wednesday.

The proposed ordinance prohibiting the use, sale and provision of plastic bags as packaging materials in Bacolod City, said plastic bags, being non-biodegradable, can clog canals, creeks and other waterways causing floods during the rainy season.

It said the City of Bacolod in its desire to prohibit the use of plastic film bags as packaging materials, encourages the utilization of alternative packaging materials such as woven bags, cloth bags, paper bags, and other similar materials, and promote the “bring your own bag program”.

It provides a fine of P1,000 and confiscation of plastic bags for the first offense, P3,000 for the second offense, and P5,000 for the third offense, or imprisonment of not more than six months upon the discretion of the court, and in the case of the business establishment, cancellation of its business to operate for a year.

Meanwhile, the ordinance prohibiting the use, sale and provision of EPS foam used as containers for food and beverages in Bacolod said EPS foams takes several decades to hundreds of years to deteriorate in the landfill, and, being a non-biodegradable material, can clog the canals and other waterways.

It added that, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, styrene is a suspected carcinogen and is also a suspected toxin to the gastrointestinal, kidney, and respiratory systems, among others, it added.

The ordinance also provides the same penalties as the ordinance prohibiting the use, sale and provision of plastic bags as packaging materials.

Both ordinances provide that no business establishment, fastfood outlets, market vendors, ambulant vendors and the like should utilize, sell or provide plastic bags or Styrofoam as packaging materials.

Posted in: Plastics