Page 39 - Plastics News June 2021

internAtionAL news

Philippines the fifth largest Colorado Plastic Ban Bill heads

contributor of marine plastics in to governor
the world says a Report

bill in Colorado banning
A single-use plastic bags and
hilippines is the fifth largest contributor - after
PIndonesia, India, the US, Thailand and Brazil, of expanded polystyrene foam
(EPS) takeout containers is
marine plastics in the world according to report. The
report (From futureocean.org/ozeanwissen/topics/ on its way to the governor’s
plastic_en_php 2020) mentions Philippines still on the desk for signature after the
Senate approved HB21-1162
Top 10 list of contributors, producing 1.01 million metric
tons of mismanaged plastics annually. Of this, 0.28-0.75 on June 8. If passed, single-
MMT/year leak to the oceans. Plastic management is the use plastic bags will be
banned at most stores, and
main problem, specifically on single-use plastics. These restaurants will be banned
are hard to recuperate, use only once and do not degrade/
decompose causing havoc in other ecosystems. Twenty from using polystyrene food service containers starting
in 2024. Customers will have to pay 10 cents per paper
percent of plastics in the marine environment come from or plastic bag beginning in 2023 until the ban goes
ships, tourism cruise lines, and fishing vessels. But 80
percent come from land-based sources.Sixty-five percent into effect, but retailers will continue charging for
of mismanaged wastes come from illegal dumpsites and paper bags after that date. The bill would also make
Colorado the first state to repeal its preemption law,
the remaining 35 percent are from sanitary landfills.
The country account for only the managed but not the a type of policy banning municipalities from creating
mismanaged plastics. There was an average 427,050 MT their own, stricter plastic packaging ordinances by July
2023. Some cities and towns already have bag bans or
of plastic waste generated by eight cities in Metro Manila similar ordinances despite the preemption law, and
in 2014. These are Malabon, Navotas, Manila, Parañaque
City, Quezon City, Marikina, Pasig and Taguig. Waste Denver will require retailers to charge 10 cents per
carryout bag starting July 1. Colorado lawmakers have
collection increased from 8,907 MT in 2014 to 9,286 MT been trying to pass different iterations of the bill for
per day in 2018. Use of single-use plastics continues to
increase despite the imposition of a plastics ban by LGUs. several years, but competing interests from businesses,
The main contributors of marine plastics are the rivers environmentalists and plastic producers have made it a
tough sell, said Rep. Lisa Cutter, a prime sponsor who
has been working on the bill since she took office in
2019. A number of key compromises helped the bill to
pass both the House of Representatives and Senate this
year, she said. One controversial compromise is that the
bill now ends the state’s preemption policy. Colorado
is the first state to reverse preemption, environmental
groups say, which is notable during a time when nearly
20 states have preemption laws on the books, and
several of those states, such as Arkansas and Ohio,
enacted those laws within the past year. Cutter said
she is pleased the final bill version ends preemption
near Manila Bay - Macabebe, Tullahan and Pasig rivers (the
top three polluters in terms of riverine input). Floating in the state. A clause initially struck by the legislature
would allow municipalities to enforce bans that are
plastics in Manila Bay - 40,000 pieces per square kilometer stricter than the state’s, starting in July 2024.The
in Manila Bay. The highest accumulation of marine plastic
from Manila ended up in Las Piñas-Parañaque Critical Colorado Restaurant Association opposed this clause,
saying it would confuse restaurant owners about what
Habitat and Ecotourism Area (LPPCHEA), then Baseco rules they had to follow.
and Noveleta.

39 June 2021 Plastics News