Over-pricing of bio-plastics hit

MEAT and vegetable vendors in public markets in Davao City have been complaining about incurring reduced income since the implementation of the plastic ban due to high cost of bio-plastics compared to the regular non-biodegradable ones.
With this, the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) announced Wednesday that prices of biodegradable plastics will be regulated by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
Cenro chief Joseph Felizarta said prices of bio-plastics will be reduced from P80-P90 to P20-P30 per 100 pieces.
DTI city field officer Teolulo Pasawa said in a text message that plastic has to be classified first as prime commodity before its prices may be regulated.
The city has implemented an ordinance on ecological solid waste management banning non-biodegradable plastic used as food and beverage containers, and for checkout bags.
The plastic ban began last June 28 as mandated, two years after the enactment of the ordinance.
Felizarta, however, said the ordinance would be reviewed based on a resolution for amendments submitted by the city’s solid waste management board to the committee on environment of the city council.
He cited salient points of the proposed amendments such as specifying banned plastic materials, and defining primary and secondary packaging.
While primary packaging refers to the plastic used to wrap food itemsdirectly from manufacturing, secondary packaging refers to theretailing process, which he said, is where the ordinance applies.
The other amendments include prohibited acts of plastic manufacturersnew collection time for poblacion area that will began at 5:00 PMuntil 9:00 PM, and a tipping fee of P1,000 per ton of garbagecollected from establishments.
Felizarta said since January this year, the city has collected anaverage of 411 tons of garbage a day compared to last year’s 380 tonsa day, because more condominiums, malls and hotels have been built.
But he added the figure is still lower than the 500 to 700 tons a daybefore the implementation of the solid waste management ordinance thatstrictly imposes waste segregation in homes. [Lorie AnnCascaro/MindaNews]