Professional Documents
Culture Documents
PRELIMINARY IMPACTS
OF
CITY ORDINANCE 2009-370
BANNING/REGULATING THE
USE OF PLASTIC BAGS
IN
ANTIPOLO CITY
March 2012
By
Grace P. Sapuay
DEDICATION
increase more so that they will leave a legacy of a clean and orderly city,
with properly managed waste; so that the next generations will be able to
waste.
ABSTRACT
the use of plastic bags in the commercial sector. In order to find out the
change a survey was undertaken in the main wet and dry public market of
Antipolo City. The survey hoped to determine the initial effects of the ban
on the solid waste situation in the city and on the attitudes of the citizens
in the community towards the ban and towards the environment. The
data gathered survey was analyzed using the Predictive Analysis Software
(PASW) Statistics (SPSS version 18). The results indicated positive impact
of the ban on the use of plastic bags on solid waste situation of the city as
the ban amidst the difficulty of gaining its acceptance to those primarily
affected. This goes to show that strict implementation can serve as a key
The author is forever grateful to the following people who have made
invaluable contribution to this research:
AUTHOR’S BIOGRAPHY
APPENDICES
List of Figure
List of Tables
1.1 Introduction
Solid waste is among the major issues facing the Philippine society
today. More than ten (10) years after RA 9003 (The Ecological Solid
Waste Management Act 2001) has been signed into law, littering of solid
towards solid waste has not changed. Most local government units have
mandated by law and waste segregation is being done minimally all over
the country.
1) Over 1 trillion plastic bags are used annually all over the world;
4) More than 3.5 million tons of plastic bags, sacks, and wraps
determine in general if the ban on the use of plastic bags was successful
terms of:
Antipolo City;
the ban.
environmental awareness.
impose a ban on the use of plastic carryout bags, there is still an on-going
2
regulation of plastic bags (production and use) instead of ban on their
use. The results of this study will help determine whether a ban is
November 2011 until February 2012. It will not be concerned with waste
segregation policies but will be limited only to the initial effects of the ban
on the solid waste situation in the city and on the attitudes of the citizens
Since the time to study the initial impact period is very short (one
month only); hence, the survey area will be limited to the main wet and
3
CHAPTER II :
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
the library, literatures for this study were sourced from the internet,
which can be easily accessed within less than a second through the search
engine Google2. It has been known that the convenience of using plastic
is the main reason for the creation of policies regulating such use. Begum
2
The key words “plastic bags ban ordinance” yielded 218,000 results within 0.08 seconds. The
selection was scanned and only those materials pertinent to this study, which focus primarily on researches
regarding banning of plastic bags and its effects on the state of solid waste management as well as the
behaviour of people towards the ban and towards solid waste particularly plastic bags, were selected and
downloaded for review. Over seventeen (17) articles were chosen and these were further screened to come
down with a total of five (5) pertinent literatures, three (3) of which are published in international journals,
while two (2) are discussion papers. Of the five (5) papers selected, three (3) papers directly deal with the
results of the ban and its effect on the behaviour of consumers as well as on the environment while two (2)
papers deal with the adverse effects of plastics on the environment. The papers were chosen for their
relevance to the proposed research as well as their importance in providing some insights on how such a
research might be conducted. They also provided some ideas on the rates of success as well as sustainability in
terms of the reduction of plastic usage and waste production in relation to such policies.
4
consequences of its disposal on the environment particularly in India. The
author has also included in her discussion some policy instruments which
are being used all over the world especially the developing world, limiting
the use of plastic bags in order to manage plastic wastes. Ireland and
success. A levy on plastic bags at 0.15 Euro per bag in retail outlets
except fresh produce (which levies bags at 0.70 euro) resulted in a 90%
50% reduction target was not met) was able to reduce plastic bag
city. The study consisted of a survey on who uses the plastic bags and
how many of the respondents use plastic bags, how they dispose of such
bags after use and determined the impacts of plastic bags waste on the
availability. The study also found that open dumping is the manner of
disposal practiced widely by the respondents in the survey and that such
5
practices resulted in blockage of sewers and deterioration of the natural
beauty of the environment in their area. The authors found that a city
level legislation is necessary in curbing the use of plastic bags and end
Such legislations against the free use of plastic bags aim to manage
plastic bags waste, which were found littering the streets, canals, and all
the use of free plastic bags from retailers to consumers in 2008 Xiufeng
Xing (2009) studied the trend consumer behaviour towards the use of
regards to the use of plastics and the impact of the ban, putting emphasis
on the results following imposition of the ban. The author noted that after
the policy took effect, it was seen that there has been a decrease in the
use of plastic bags in the supermarkets and that the total use of plastic
bags was reduced to roughly two-thirds of its previous use. However, this
to use national standard plastic bags for inspection while using the
flimsier (illegal) type for regular use. In another study on the same policy
6
Experiment (CCE), which is based on the idea that any good can be
pay for plastic carryout bags. Results of the study showed a preference
for bags which are made from materials other than non-degradable
plastic bags if such are sold cheaper. However, the experiment showed
that there are preference distinctions among age groups, which can be
of the policy. The researchers found that the policy has been carried for
over a year with some success, reducing the consumption of plastic bags
by as much as 66%.
people in Botswana towards plastic bags tax to curb demand on the use
bags charges, the authors found out that the increase in the plastic bags
per 1,000 BWP (Botswana Pulas) of retail purchases and the use of plastic
bags dropped to 24% weeks after the policy was implemented. The low-
7
such legislations in Ireland and South Africa, the authors found that
bags demand and predicted that a high levy on plastic shopping bags in
policies banning the use of free plastic bags as well as putting a levy on
plastic bags can help in limiting the use of plastic bags, consequently
reducing plastic waste in the areas of study. The studies, however, were
not include those in the countryside, which was noted to have bigger use
8
CHAPTER III :
During the height of typhoon Ondoy, Metro Manila and the outlying
provinces were submerged in the flood for many days. Plastic bags were
the most noticeable solid waste found floating in the flood and clogging
the waterways. The plastic bags were, therefore, blamed as the cause of
communities for several days. In view of this, some LGUs have made the
ban, which is meant to improve the solid waste situation in the city,
literature reviewed.
and public markets in the city will be using paper bags instead of plastic
bags and that there will be a decrease in the use of plastic bags in public
9
used for this purpose. Due to this, the consumers are expected to use
plastic bags less frequently and that, since traders in the city will no
longer use plastic bags. Hence, whatever plastic bags the consumers use
might be sourced outside Antipolo, where for example they are given
ordinance.
population still using plastic bags, though less frequently since IEC may
not yet be that thorough, or that some who shop from neighbouring
carryout bags. Others will have opted to use reusable bags that are sold
in the markets. Still others will be found no longer using plastic bags since
reusable bags area available and that these consumers might have
agreed that the ban is good so they tend to follow not just the ordinance
population such that they will also start to segregate their solid waste at
home since it has already been declared (through RA 9003) that they
must segregate their waste. At this point people will start to realize that
Hence, most of them might start disposing their plastic bags and other
plastic waste in the city. Therefore, it is highly expected that the solid
10
waste situation in the city has been greatly improved. This can be better
the study:
IMPLEMENTATION
PRELIMINARY IMPACTS
CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
On 1. STILL USE PLASTIC
IN PUBLIC Sources BAGS
of plastic 2. NO LONGER USE
MARKETS
PLASTIC BAGS
bags
3. USE OF REUSABLE BAGS
DECREASE IN THE
USE OF PLASTIC
BAGS IN PUBLIC
MARKETS
METHODOLOGY
beliefs, attitude and behaviours towards prevailing trends, laws, and other
policy (in this case the ban on plastic bags) which will give a glimpse at
implementation.
one place, which is the major wet and dry public market along the main
thoroughfare of Antipolo City. Since this is the main public market, this a
one of places where most people come to do their shopping for their daily
needs and is where the ordinance is mostly implemented, also since the
12
Gathering of primary data was done through a survey and key
questionnaires.
the prevailing solid waste situation in the city. This was followed by
Three groups or sectors will be surveyed for this study. The first
group was the implementers, the second group consisted of the vendors
interview was done for the 1st group of respondents. The questionnaires
for the shop-owners were distributed among the market vendors and
questionnaires was sixty per cent (60%). Some of the vendors were busy
with sales work and did not want to answer the questionnaires while some
13
of them simply did not want to answer the questionnaires and were not
returned.
shoppers. Sixty (60) samples were taken and interviewed using face-to-
12:00 noon, twenty (20) samples were interviewed in the afternoon, and
another twenty (20) samples were interviewed early evening. This was
were busy with their businesses, such that only those willing to answer
the survey forms were interviewed while the others were given the forms
and retrieved after a few hours. Thirty (30) samples were gathered for
this study.
conducted within the entire LGU. For this purpose, the City Administrator,
14
visiting their respective offices. Secondary data were also requested from
15
CHAPTER V :
FINDINGS
main public market, which is located two blocks away from the city hall.
etc.) on its second level. The meat and fish section, fresh fruits and
vegetables and all other ingredients for cooking as well as cooked foods
Located in Bgy. San Roque, it occupies the entire block in the heart
the north, F. Manalo St. on the east, and J. Simeon Street on the south
(see areal views on the next page). The market is filled with people of all
walks of life during the day. It is busiest during the early morning until
12’o’clock noon and during late afternoon until eight o’clock in the
evening. This place was chosen to be the study site for the survey since
many people from various places in Antipolo come here to buy all sorts of
goods and merchandise and that this is the place most likely to be
16
Figure 2: Areal Map of Antipolo Public Market (Google Earth)
17
5.2 Results of the survey
The survey yielded two (2) types of data, numerical and categorical
(nominal). For such types of data, a Chi-square (X2) statistic was used
here to compare the variables and to find out whether there exists any
data from surveys, tests, observations, and other data gathered. The
3
http://math.hws.edu/javamath/ryan/ChiSquare.html
4
http://www.acastat.com/Statbook/chisqassoc.htm
18
software can perform a variety of statistical computations, thus saving
into two, since the data was not very significant for those younger than
Sex
Male 7 23.3
Female 23 76.7
Educational Attainment
High School 12 40.0
College 18 60.0
Weekly income
P1,000-5999 18 60.0
P6,000-9,999 6 20.0
>P10,000 2 6.7
No answer 4 13.3
N Cases = 30
Thirty (30) shop-owners were interviewed for this study (Table 1),
all owning a stall or stalls inside the public market of Antipolo City. Of the
19
shop-owners who answered the survey forms, 10% were between the
ages of less than twenty (20) years old to twenty-nine (29) years old.
Most of the participants interviewed were within the age range of 30-39
years old (46.7%) while the rest were over 40 years old (about 43.3%).
them (20%) earn between P6,000-P9,999.00 and only a few (6.7%) earn
a weekly income of more than 10,000 pesos. About 13.3% did not state
Table 2 below shows the profile of the shoppers interviewed for this
study. From this Table, it can be seen that 21.7% of the shoppers
interviewed were aged less than or equal to 29 years old, while 31.7%
were between 30-39 years old. It can be seen that the majority of
shoppers surveyed were 40 years old and over, comprising 46.7% of the
sample.
only 28.3% of the sample. It cannot be concluded here that more females
20
do the shopping than males, however, it can be said that at the time of
sampling, more females arrived than males and thus, they were the ones
Sex
Male 17 28.3
Female 43 71.7
Educational Attainment
Elementary 8 13.3
High School/Voc 34 56.6
College 18 30.0
Occupation
Student 3 5.0
Gov’t Employee 1 1.7
Private Employee 10 16.7
Self-employed 10 16.7
Homemaker 24 40.0
Labourer 4 6.7
Others 7 11.7
No answer 1 1.7
N Cases = 60
sample said they finished high school and/or vocational courses while
about 30% finished a college degree and only 13.3% of the respondents
21
Forty per cent (40%) of the sample belong to families earning an
PhP 5,000-PhP 9,999.00. About 26.7% said they earn a monthly income
retired or work someplace else. Around 1.7% of the sample did not
whether they fully understood the reason for such and if they were
owners said that they understood the reason for regulating/banning the
use of plastic carryout bags and some 3.3% among both the shoppers
and the shop-owners said that they did not understand the reason for
such a regulation. Also, 86.7% of the shoppers and 89.7% of the shop-
owners were satisfied with the ordinance, while 13.3% were not satisfied
with the said ordinance. When asked whether they understood the
22
advantages of not using plastic bags, a majority (96.7%) of both the
Frequency Percentage
2. Understand the
Yes 58 28 96.7% 93.3%
reason for
regulating/banning
the use of plastic No 2 1 3.3% 3.3%
bags
places such as the one shown below, explaining the high level of
awareness of the people regarding the policy. Also, letters notifying the
23
business owners regarding the ordinance have been distributed all over
the city5.
responses towards the ban, the shoppers were asked whether they bring
their own reusable bag nowadays, their opinions on buying reusable bag
for shopping, choices of carryout bags, their opinions on what type of bag
5
Per interview with some business owners who are far from the city center
24
wish to change the ordinance and add a P5.00 levy for using plastic bags
or whether they prefer the current ordinance which bans the use of plastic
bags for all dry goods purchases and limits such use for wet goods
The figure above shows that 96.7% of the respondents bring their
own reusable bag nowadays when shopping, while only a few (3.3%)
never bring their own reusable bags. When asked “why”, the only reason
they gave was that they always forget to bring reusable bags with them
25
Figure 6: Preferrence for Current Ordinance and Willingness
of Shoppers to Buy Ecobags or Reusable Bags
were willing to buy reusable bags and chose the current ordinance over
an amended ordinance which would allow the use of plastic bags but with
a levy of five pesos (Php5.00) for every plastic bag that will be used.
When ask for the choice of carryout container they prefer to use, most of
the respondents said that they prefer using reusable bag as carryout
container (as shown in the figure below) because for them, reusable bags
are sturdy, convenient and comfortable to use, can be washed and used
again many times over, and can contain more goods compared to other
carryout bags/containers, which are disposable. They also said that they
preferred using reusable bags now than plastic bags in order to help in
26
the protection of the environment as well as help in the prevention of
clogging the waterways and lessen the littering of waste on the streets.
carryout bags for the sake of helping the campaign for cleanliness and
The shoppers were also asked for their opinions regarding buying
reusable bags for their groceries. Most of them (65%) said that buying
27
reusable bags is all right with them because they can contribute to
environmental protection (See Table 4 below). About 25% said that it was
fine with them as long as they could carry the things they bought, while a
few of them (10%) said they were annoyed because of the extra
expenses.
Total 60 100.0
to reduce waste and because paper bags are better since they are
biodegradable. On the other hand, 43.4% said they should not be banned
because the use of plastic bags could help save the trees and that plastic
bags are better for packaging wet merchandise. Most of those who did not
favour the ban were from the wet goods section of the market. They also
complained that they were the ones who receive the ire of customers who
interviewed did not answer the question. The Table below shows the
who favoured the banning for various reasons as well as those who did
28
not favour the ban are listed separately to show the precise reason given
by the respondents.
No answer 4 13.3
Total 30 100.0
5.2.4 Practices
the use of plastic bags in the light of the ordinance, the following
noted that the ordinance regulates the use of plastic bags in the wet
goods section and not banned so that those who responded yes to the
question were those who were selling wet goods such as fish, chicken, or
meat. However, those selling wet goods use only a certain type of plastic
bag, called “labo” a thin, single use cellophane, which is quite disposable.
29
grumble and demand for plastic bags, they were afraid to pay the penalty
(which is PhP500.00 for the first offense, PhP800.00 for the second time
No 11 36.7 24 40
No answer 2 6.7
Sometimes 21 35
It was also found that other sellers in the dry goods area use plastic
bags as courtesy to the customers who do not have shopping bags with
them for the convenience of carrying the goods bought. When asked why
they still use such despite the ban, the reason given was that it is only
“banned when caught” and that the customer needs to have the goods
seen that more shoppers no longer use plastic bags as carryout container
policy and that they did not want to get caught and pay the penalty. The
same reasons were given by the vendors who are no longer using plastic
carryout bags.
30
When the vendors/shop-owners were asked whether their
Yes 6 20.0
No 24 80.0
Total 30 100.0
of the ban because they no longer use plastic bags and since their
customers have no carryout containers, they just leave upon learning that
before the implementation of the ordinance, they used to just buy plastic
carryout bags. But after the ban was implemented, what they buy
nowadays are scotch tapes or tubes of paste to make the paper bags
because they do not want to buy the brown paper bags since those are
6
Dry goods vendors make paper bags out of old newspapers or telephone directories and discarded
magazines.
31
With regards to cleanliness, more shop-owners think that solid
waste in the city were reduced after the implementation of the ordinance
(70%), as opposed to just 40% of shoppers who think that garbage has
No 7 11.7 9 30.00
streets have indeed been maintained and free from littering, which
32
Figure 8: Clean Street in Antipolo City
banning of plastic bags, is also a way of finding out the solid waste
practices of people to see how well they are aware of other environmental
than those who do not and are willing to cooperate in urban waste
plastic bags.
plastic bags, it is possible that such a policy has awakened some level of
33
awareness among the people in terms of other environmental policies.
This can be seen by the way they manage their solid waste. The Figure
garbage.
34
The figures above show that close to over 70% of respondents
segregate their garbage at home. Various reasons were given, such as,
bad odour) from non-biodegradable; to keep from littering waste into the
avoid penalties. They also reported that segregated waste were placed in
various types of containers such as plastic bags, jute sacks, broken pails,
square analysis, since this group had a bigger sample size than the shop-
percentage were considered since the sample size was too small for
square values, Cramer’s V was also used for nominal values to determine
compared with the data on the choice of carryout containers and with
within the age range 29 years and below favoured using reusable bag
while only 7.7% favoured the use of disposable containers. About 78.9%
35
of those respondents aged 30-39 years old favoured the use of reusable
containers, and only 21.1% among the respondents aged 30-39 years old
years old and over, 85.7% favoured the use of reusable containers for
containers. From this Table, it can be seen that there is a high percentage
groups, signifying that age had nothing to do with choosing the type of
container. To further test this, Cramer’s V, which is used to test for the
Choice of Carryout
Age group Containers Total
Disposable Reusable
<=29 7.7% 92.3% 13
30-39 21.1% 78.9% 19
>=40 14.3% 85.7% 28
Approx. Sig. (p<.05) 0.576
Cramer’s V 0.136
N cases = 60
the ban on plastic bags, a cross tabulation was done for age against the
36
responses on the satisfaction with the ordinances. Shown in Table below
From the table above, it can be said that there was a very high
percentage of those who were satisfied with the ordinance banning the
use of plastic bags compared to those who were not satisfied. Checking
answers among the age groups, the results generated for the age vs.
between these two variables within the sample and that it could not be
that there was a high percentage of respondents who would rather use
37
Table 11 : Educational Attainment vs. Choice of Carryout container
Choice of Carryout
Educational Container Total
Attainment
Disposable Reusable
Elementary 12.5% 87.5% 100.00%
High School/Voc 8.8% 91.2% 100.0%
College 27.8% 72.2% 100.0%
Approx. Sig. 0.070
(p<.05)
Cramer’s V 0.234
N cases = 60
there was a an very low correlation between the variables within the
correlation if there were enough samples for the generated data although
within the study, there was not enough evidence to say that it could be
value.
Cramer’s V 0.180
N cases = 60
38
It can be said from the data gathered that education has nothing to
when they perceive that the policy is doing good for the environment as
Table 12, not everyone will be pleased with such a policy and will always
resist change, such that some of the shoppers interviewed said that they
were not satisfied with the ordinance banning the use of plastic disposable
bags, because for them, plastic bags offer the most convenient way to
Cramer’s V 0.199
N cases = 60
disposable ones. Further relating these variables, it can be said that there
39
is no significant relationship between the income and the choice of
carryout bags.
is not related to their income since across all income groups, a high
Cramer’s V 0.101
N cases = 60
40
CHAPTER VI :
The study was able to provide a bird’s eye view of the preliminary
The data from the survey was able to prove the hypothesis of the
study, which found a positive impact of the ban on the solid waste
ordinance and the bringing of their own reusable bags when shopping.
the dry goods section no longer use plastic bags (except for a few which
please them), and use paper packaging instead. These paper packaging
and phone directories and made into “paper bags” because the shop-
owners/vendors find the brown paper bags more expensive. This clearly
shows how people can be creative in order to comply with the policy.
in plastic bags waste, the reduction of plastic bags littering the streets has
definitely been achieved. Also, since the people have become aware that
the plastic bags ordinance was implemented to curb the waste littering,
41
they have also become aware of the ill-effects of improperly disposed
their awareness has been heightened regarding the use of materials that
ban plastic bags is that oftentimes they end up on the streets which are
found out that only the use of plastic “sando” bags was banned but not
the single use thin film plastic they called "labo", which are easily
discarded, unlike the plastic carry-on bags that are oftentimes reused.
This would lead to the question of where these plastic bags go afterwards.
paper waste since paper bags are being used instead of plastic bags. The
practical solution to the plastic bags waste problem, this would perhaps
be effective only in the short term. What would be more effective is the
42
implementation of the solid waste management policy and discipline of
the populace in order to create a long term solution to the problem, which
does not only constitute plastic bags but other waste as well. If
behavioural changes will occur, such that people will learn to manage
to ban/regulate plastic bags use was able to reduce the plastic bags
contain all waste so they do not end up where they are not supposed to
be. According to the result of this study, any law that is strictly
lightweight convenient carry-on plastic bag, they now realize that the
rampant use of such has been among the culprits in the clogging of
waterways and causing so much litter on the streets. Although they still
43
While it is true that plastic bags waste can clog waterways because
they are non-biodegradable, other solid waste can do the same. And
using paper put a huge demand on our trees and water supply. It is
clearly not the best solution. To put it simply, with the strict
The study was under severe limitations due to time and budgetary
constraints such that it was not possible to include the entire area of
Antipolo City. For this reason, only a small sample was included in the
survey, which covered only those in the market such that the study
ordinance and the effects this has on the solid waste situation in the city,
this stage, the volume of solid waste, especially of plastic waste must be
recovery centre must be set up at strategic areas of the city and that the
collection.
44
Although “economic impacts” is not part of this study, the ordinance
the suppliers of plastic bags have been hard hit by this ordinance. For
plastic “sando” bag to package the thin plastic bags bought by a wet
the survey will not be biased in order to reflect the real situation.
Although larger sample can be better, it may be better if the profile of the
It can be said that although the LGU’s leadership has been trying
hard to make the campaign against the widespread use of plastic bags,
there are some products that require plastic bags for packaging to protect
a result, they have not realized that they can apply for such an exemption
46
REFERENCES
47
AUTHOR’S BIOGRAPHY
48