Plastic-free Saturdays proposed By Princess Dawn H.

Felicitas Monday, April 9, 2012

INSTEAD of an outright ban, the Cebu City Councils head of the committee on environment wants to prohibit every Saturday the use and sale of non-biodegradable plastic shopping bags in the city. Councilor Nida Cabrera recently reintroduced her proposed ordinance that seeks to regulate the use and sale of plastics in the city. Under her revised proposal, Cabrera said no business establishments should use plastic shopping bags every Saturday nor offer these to their customers. Instead, she said, customers should use a sack, cloth bag or woven bags. Cabrera proposed that business establishments provide a minimum of P1 or its equivalent in points and freebies to customers who bring their own containers when shopping. Similar incentives should also go to those who return used plastic shopping bags or other similar waste plastic materials for recycling, she said. Cabrera, in her proposed ordinance, also asked business establishments to set up a plastic bag recovery bin. In her original proposal, Cabrera had asked for a total ban on the use and sale of plastics in the city. However, business establishments said that the City Government should regulate the use of plastics in phases, adding that they should be given ample time for educating, organizing, and mobilizing for an environmental resources management program. Cabrera said any establishments who will violate any provision of the ordinance, if approved, will be fined P2,000 in the first year of the ordinances implementation. On the second and succeeding years, Cabrera said a fine of P5,000 will be imposed or jail time of not more than six months, depending on what the court decides. Business permits of errant establishments should also be cancelled for one year. Once successfully implemented, Cabrera said the prohibition on all business establishments from using or selling plastic shopping bags will be extended to every Wednesday as well. Cabreras proposed ordinance has been referred to the councils committee on laws for comments and recommendations.

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Submitted by: Shayne Jessemae C. Almario BSN 3A

Submitted to: Ms. Maria Theresa M. Cabanero, RN, MAN Clinical Instructor