PH May Soon Ban Plastic Straw and Coffee Stirrer

According to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), plastic softdrink straw and plastic coffee stirrer may soon be banned in the country.

Plastic softdrink straw and plastic coffee stirrer were approved by the National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC) in the list of non-environmentally acceptable products (NEAP).

Furthermore, through a virtual en banc meeting on February 2, 2021, the draft resolution declaring plastic softdrink straw and plastic coffee stirrer as NEAP was deliberated, and it concluded with 11 votes for approval and three votes for disapproval of the two items.

Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000

The banning of plastic softdrink straw and plastic coffee stirrer is part of the implementation of the Republic Act (RA) 9003 also known as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.

RA 9003 is “An act providing for an ecological solid waste management program, creating the necessary institutional mechanisms and incentives, declaring certain acts prohibited and providing penalties, appropriating funds therefor, and for other purposes.”

“I am elated that after 20 years since the birth of RA 9003, the NEAP listing has now commenced. This is long overdue and we need to catch up with the demand of solid waste management in our country,” stated by DENR Undersecretary for Solid Waste Management and Local Government Units (LGUs) Concerns and NSWMC Alternate Chair Benny D. Antiporda.

Antiporda said in a statement that this is a significant milestone for NSWMC, and for the Filipino people.

“We have long been fighting for and we are committed in having a NEAP list to comply with the law to combat environmental damage,” Antiporda added.

“The prohibition on these two single-use plastic items may be small steps in the NEAP listing, but it is a big leap when it comes to compliance with the provisions of RA 9003.”

– Statement of Antiporda

According to the DENR press release, the resolution was passed despite heavy resistance from some members of the Commission, such as:

• Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)
• Manufacturing and recycling industries

Other participants in the en banc meeting are the following:

• Department of Health
• Metro Manila Development Authority
• Department of the Interior and Local Government
• Department of Agriculture
• Department of Public Works and Highways
• Technical Education and Skills Development Authority
• Philippine Information Agency
• League of Municipalities of the Philippines, League of Cities of the Philippines
• Non-government organizations represented by the EcoWaste Coalition

Read more about the Republic Act (RA) 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, HERE.

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