Earth Hour Plea: Ban Single-Use Plastics
Local advocates for a zero waste and toxics-free society
are joining a growing chorus of voices seeking effective solutions to the
global plastic pollution crisis.
In a press statement coinciding with the observance of
the Earth Hour, the EcoWaste Coalition enjoined the government, industries and
citizens to switch off tonight in solidarity with the worldwide efforts to
protect the environment from single-use plastics – the focus of the Earth Hour
this year.
“To halt the chemical and plastic contamination of our
water bodies, particularly the oceans, the government has to adopt sweeping
policy changes that will address the problem at source, incentivize single-use
plastic reduction and disincentivize single-use plastic production, ” said
Aileen Lucero, National Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition.
“The government has to get a ban on single-use plastics
in place this year as our country’s contribution to the global drive to protect
the oceans from further plasticization,” she said
“A National Ban on Plastic and Plastic Products Act will
be required to phase out single-use disposable plastics and usher in sustainable
resource use. A National Action Plan
will be needed to move our society away from our addiction to throw-away
plastics,” she pointed out.
“As for the industries, especially for manufacturers of
fast-moving consumer goods, we urge them to fast track the replacement of
single-use plastic packaging with alternative product delivery systems, like
refill and reuse, with a clear plan and timeline,” she said.
“As for our citizens, we urge them to minimize, if not
stop, the reckless use and disposal of single-use plastics, and to adopt
consumption choices and habits that will lessen the generation of plastic
garbage. We ask every waste generator to
manage their discards responsibly to prevent plastics and other wastes from
entering the marine environment,” she added.
The EcoWaste Coalition also took the opportunity to
stress the importance of effectively enforcing the country’s key environmental
laws such as RA 9003 (Ecological Solid Waste Management Act), RA 9275 (Clean
Water Act) and RA 6969 (Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes
Control Act) to prevent chemicals and plastics from spilling into the oceans.
These pollution prevention laws, the group stressed, were
enacted to protect the environment, including marine waters, from dumping and
other environmentally- damaging acts.
According to the UN report “Marine Plastic Debris and
Microplastics,” “80 percent of all pollution in the sea comes from land,
including some eight million tons of plastic waste each year, that have cost
the lives of one million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals. Moreover, it
causes $8 billion in damage annually to marine ecosystems.”
-end-
Reference:
https://www.earthhour.org/
https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/06/1011721
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