THE Cagayan de Oro City Local Environment and Natural Resources Office (Clenro) is urging business establishments to create special counters for purchasing customers using their own reusable bags than the usual plastic bags.
According to Clenro, the special lane will be called “Green Lane” and will be part of their strategy to encourage consumers to bring their own reusable or recyclable bag when going out to buy goods.
The Green Lane should be opened by January 1, 2019, the first day of implementation of the city's plastic use regulation.
A Clenro team has started going around business establishments in the city for public awareness.
The team is giving out notices stating that no business establishments shall use plastic “sando” bags and other forms as packaging material for dry goods or cooked food, except if these are used in wrapping meat and poultry products.
This coming October 1, the city government will start implementing the plastic regulation by ordering establishments to use only plastic bags every Wednesdays and Fridays.
Clenro chief Engineer Armen Cuenca said this will serve as transition period until the city implements a full-blown plastic use regulation on January 1.
He said he hopes to affect behavioral change among Kagay-anons.