Lack of access to waste cited as ‘biggest challenge’ to EPR law

By Chloe Mari A. Hufana, Reporter

THE National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC) urged local government units (LGUs) to provide access to waste resources to help implement the Extended Producers’ Responsibility (EPR) Act, which requires private firms to recover the plastic and packaging waste they produce and distribute.

“The biggest challenge [in implementing this law] is that even if the industry wants to recover [waste], unless we get the support of the general citizenry [and] the LGUs to give us access to the actual waste in a condition that we need it so that we can valorize it, we’re going to have a very difficult time,” NSWMC Commissioner and Vice Chairman Crispian N. Lao told BusinessWorld on the sidelines of the Road to Zero Waste Summit in Mandaluyong City on Tuesday.

The Extended Producers’ Responsibility Act, under Republic Act (RA) No. 11898, identifies plastic waste as a recovery requirement for enterprises, which means any packaging made from synthetic material should be collected and properly handled by manufacturers.

“The government is starting with plastics because it’s a bigger problem and other [materials] will follow,” Mr. Lao added.

He urged private companies to support compliance with the law and to “do what needs to be done so that we can be responsible for the packaging that we put in the market.”

Mr. Lao said legislations such as RA 11898 and the Ecological Solid Waste Act, RA No. 9003, “are enough” but implementing such laws is lacking.

This comes after the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) launched its 10-Year to Zero Waste Program on Tuesday to promote practices that support a “sustainable and circular economy” to address solid waste management issues in the capital region.

Speaking at the event, MMDA General Manager Procopio G. Lipana said the summit is a commitment to solid waste disposal and management, protecting landfills, and proactive adherence to RA 9003 and RA 11898.

In a statement on the same day, MMDA cited its 2023 study on Waste Analysis and Characterization in Metro Manila, which found that 21.44% of household waste could be recycled.

While a report from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Environmental Management Bureau estimated that 85% of waste generated could be composed, it added.

“If left unattended, they will continue to degrade our environment, pollute our waterways, contribute increasingly to flooding, and hinder our economic growth, ultimately impacting our economy and overall public health,” MMDA Chairman Romando S. Artes said in his welcome remark.