The Department of Trade and Industry-Bureau of Philippine Standards (DTI-BPS) has reactivated its Technical Committee (TC 45) on Plastics and Plastic Products primarily in anticipation of House Bill No. 9147 mandating the DTI-BPS to develop and promulgate the appropriate Philippine National Standards (PNS) for compostable plastic products.
The reactivation of BPS/TC 45 aims to contribute, through national standardization, in addressing the universal issue of plastic pollution and, ultimately, support the various national goals such as the National Plan of Action on Marine Litter, Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022, Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, and the Philippine Action Plan for Sustainable Consumption and Production while preserving the plastic industry and finding and establishing alternative solutions and technologies appropriate in the country.
The BPS/TC 45 had its meeting for the introduction of its members and discussion of the committee’s work program for the year. The committee is comprised of experts representing the academe, consumer groups, industry representatives, professional groups, government agencies, research institutions, and testing institutions.
They include the Department of Science and Technology - Industrial Technology Development Institute (DOST-ITDI) - Materials Science Division, Environmental Biotechnology Division, and Standards and Testing Division, JG Summit Petrochemical Corporation (JGSPC), Philippine Alliance for Recycling and Materials Sustainability (PARMS), Packaging Institute of the Philippines (PIP), Philippine Plastics Industry Association, Inc (PPIA), Samahan sa Pilipinas ng mga Industriyang Kimika (SPIK), Adamson University, University of the Philippines Diliman, Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB), Philippine Center for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development, Inc. (PCEPSDI), and Philippine Institute of Chemical Engineers (PIChE).
Mr. Mario Estrada of PIP and Engr. Elsie David of SPIK were elected as BPS/TC 45 Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson, respectively.
For the second meeting, BPS/TC 45 created three working groups (WG). WG 1 will focus on standards related to biodegradability and compostability while WG 2 and WG 3 will work on standards for recycling and recovery and environmental aspects, respectively.