Plastic ordinance ‘needs tweaking’

ACTING Mayor Daniel Fariñas said amendments are now being penned to make effective the implementation of Baguio City’s Plastic Bag Ordinance.

The ordinance, authored by former councilor Faustino Olowan and approved by former mayor Reinaldo Bautista Jr., mandates supermarkets, groceries and retail outlets in Baguio City to use paper bags, bayong or buri bags or other biodegradable materials as containers for all dry goods and groceries.

The plastic bag ordinance should have been made effective this year but circumstances like the position of business owners and unclear provisions on its implementation have derailed its execution while the City Council makes important amendments.

Fariñas said the plastic bag ordinance passed several years ago has deficiencies making implementation difficult for the people.

He said there are sectors that may be affected by the ordinance like businesses that supply plastic or those relying on plastic for packaging.

He said the City Government is coordinating with the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry-Baguio by listening to their position and stand on the ordinance aimed to eliminate plastic bags, which pose threat to the environment.

Fariñas said businessmen expressed contention on the abrupt implementation of the ordinance, saying they still have plastic bags in their inventory while some products already contain plastic packaging.

But the acting mayor said that other areas implementing the plastic ordinance have only banned plastics in selling of dry goods. They still use plastics for wet market products like fish and other sea foods.

He said that according to businessmen they consulted, consumers continue to ask for plastic bags, but Fariñas said this could be solved through effective information dissemination.

To settle these issues, he said, Mayor Mauricio Domogan will have to issue an administrative order to inform businesses and the public on how the City Government will implement the policy.