Degradable Plastic Bag Act of 2011

PIA Press Release
Wednesday, March 02, 2011

Eco-friendly plastics seen to solve country's economic woes
MANILA, Mar 2 (PIA) - Biodegradable plastic bags will not only solve environment concerns in the country; it will also help some 180,000 workers keep their jobs.

This,according to Caloocan City Rep. Oscar Malapitan who has recently filed a bill entitled “Degradable Plastic Bag Act of 2011” which seeks to promote the use of an additive that would allow plastic to decay in 30 to 45 days depending on exposure to sunlight. This makes these plastic bags environment-friendly.

The plastic reformulation degrades without harmful residues, according to the Philippine Plastic Industry Association (PPIA) whose member companies are now advocating oxo-biodegradable technology.
The oxo-biodegradable plastics has been certified by the Department of Science and Technology and is supported by the Oxo-biodegradable Plastic Association of London — a group of distinguished polymer scientists.

Malapitan said that there are many bills banning plastic products still pending in Congress.
He added that banning the use of plastic products will affect not only businesses but may cause thousands of people to lose their jobs.

He also said that in Caloocan alone, the city earns about $50 million in revenues, and the plastic industry has provided employment to thousands of Filipinos. (PIA-NCR/Alfred Guiang)