Baguio mayor, bizmen, NGOs gab on reducing plastic use

BAGUIO CITY -- Entrepreneurs met here last week with city executives led by Mayor Benjamin Magalong and non-government/ecological-based organizations, to discuss schemes, incentives or discounts for buyers who use their own shopping bags in business establishments.
    They discussed how to radically reduce or altogether eliminate single-use plastics (SUPs) as packaging materials for goods in groceries or for take-out in restaurants and food outlets.
    There should be a shift to organic or reusable packaging materials, it was agreed.
    Signages should be posted on business areas reminding customers to bring their own containers for goods, and the purpose, which is to decrease plastic use and disposal in land and waterways.
    Plastics, basically made up of fossil-based chemicals or Polyethylence Terepthalate (PET), are meant to be used once and disposed of in a matter of minutes.
    The mayor expressed concern on such predicament as the actions add to wastage and deplete nature of fossil fuels.
    Eliminating SUPs help to mitigate global warming and counter climate change, the greatest reward from not using plastics, Mayor Magalong said.
    In the recent Saleng green expo, a certain number of SUPs/wrappers could be exchanged for a grocery item. This practice was requested to be sustained as to agreement between business administrators and managers.
    Maria Victoria Tenefrancia of the Zero Waste Baguio, Inc. (ZWBI) noted that grocery giants in the city were requested by City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO) Assistant Head Engr. Marivic Empizo if they could possibly grant a     One percent (1%) discount for customers who bring their own grocery bags/containers.
    Tax incentives for groceries that encourage customer’s use of personal containers and eliminating SUPs was also proposed during the meeting. Customers who bring their own bags or containers may also be granted accumulated points, which could be redeemed for grocery items, Tenefrancia said.
    Grocery owners could initiate a survey on customers who bring shopping bags and encourage co-customers to do the same, in order to generate data on the increase of environmentally-concerned customers.
    A contest on strong messaging regarding SUPs elimination may also be conducted with prizes from the business group and willing sponsors.
    Refilling stations with dispensers were proposed with customers providing personal containers, though the effect on the products need to be confirmed with manufacturers.
    From the government’s end, a directive is awaited from the Mayor that city hall is a model in eliminating SUPs.
    The grocery giants were also encouraged to air ideas and concerns through direct messaging to concerned offices in the government sector.
    Present during the meeting were representatives from ZBWI, General Services Office (GSO), Health Services Office (HSO), City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO) and other concerned offices.
    More engagements and meetings will be initiated with the academe, business establishments, socio-civic organizations, and other entities for the aggressive drive to eliminate single use plastics. – JGF with reports from ZWBI, CEPMO