DAVAO CITY — Confronted with the growing challenge of plastic pollution in the country, the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) is promoting the circular economy approach for plastic waste in the Davao region, which involves a closed-loop system where plastics are continuously reused and repurposed instead of being discarded as waste.
Speaking at the recent 7th Environmental Summit in Davao City, EMB Director Jacqueline A. Caancan underscored the need to shift strategies to ensure that plastic pollution is addressed not only holistically but also at its very source.
“We are no longer just cleaning up, but we are building a new system. Ayaw na po natin na maya’t maya naglilinis tayo ng ating waterways, maya’t maya naglilinis po tayo ng coastal (We don’t want to keep repeatedly cleaning our waterways and coasts); we want to do something beyond that,” she said.
Anchored on RA 11898, or the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Act of 2022, Caancan explained that adapting circular economy mechanisms allows plastic waste to be integrated into a continuous loop, where “once products leave the shelf, plastics are redesigned into new resources, thereby reducing the need to extract raw materials.”
Caancan said that plastic waste is not only an environmental and public health problem but also a wasted economic opportunity.
“This investment in a circular economy is not just about compliance; it’s about adopting a new business model,” she emphasized.
While RA 11898 primarily mandates companies to manage their plastic packaging waste throughout its lifecycle, Caancan said they are also working with local government units (LGUs) to embed circular economy practices into community solid waste management systems, complementing RA 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.
She pointed out, however, that achieving this goal requires proper infrastructure and active community participation.
“At the barangay level, waste must be segregated at source. But for this to be effective, we need adequate infrastructure, such as material recovery facilities. LGUs must ensure that residual waste is collected and properly managed, while biodegradable materials gathered from these facilities are put to appropriate use,” she said.
Caancan further noted that these efforts are aligned with the National Plan of Action for the Prevention, Reduction, and Management of Marine Litter (NPOA-ML), a multi-stakeholder framework that provides a shared guide and comprehensive strategy to tackle marine plastic pollution, from waste collection at the community level to recovery programs of obliged enterprises or companies.
In fact, she noted that since the implementation of RA 11898, the Philippines has been at the forefront among Asean countries in addressing plastic waste through the extended producer responsibility framework, further advancing its commitment by embedding circular economy principles in plastic waste management. (ASO/PIA 11)