The Global Compact Network Philippines (GCNP) Planet Pillar, an initiative co-chaired by telco giants Globe Telecom Inc. and PLDT and Smart Communications Inc., has called on micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to proactively support the Extended Producers Responsibility (EPR) Act.
The GCNP Planet Pillar, which leads a collection of private sector entities, said it has collaborated with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in seeking to "drive broader stakeholder engagement in practicing circularity and sustainability."
Republic Act No. 11898 or the EPR Act of 2022 is a law institutionalizing accountability and responsibility measures towards industries in relation to the production, use, import and disposal of plastic packaging waste.
It aims to reduce the circulation of single-use plastics in the market by requiring companies to enact policies that take proper management of plastic waste.
It is an amendment of RA No. 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.
In a webinar hosted by the GCNP and DENR on the EPR Law, Planet Pillar Lead and Chief Sustainability Officer at PLDT Melissa Vergel de Dios also emphasized the importance of the EPR Act to address current environmental issues.
“As the Philippines continues to navigate through challenges of plastic waste and marine pollution as well as the worsening impacts of climate change, we look towards the implementation of the EPR law to guide and harmonize our efforts toward sustainable solutions," said de Dios.
Yoly Crisanto, Co-Chair of Planet Pillar and Globe Group’s Chief Sustainability and Corporate Communications Officer, said all business units have significant roles to ensure the EPR is implemented effectively.
“Reducing plastic waste and promoting a more circular economy isn't a task limited to just some industries or regulatory bodies. The EPR can only be properly implemented through a concerted effort of all stakeholders, starting from waste segregation by households and communities, with the participation of MSMEs and large corporations, until recycling by accredited waste management partners. We encourage everyone to do their part in the implementation of the EPR Act,” explained Crisanto.
While compliance with the law is mandated for companies and corporations, MSMEs are encouraged to support it by registering their businesses.
Around 709 organizations have submitted and had their EPR programs approved as of September this year. 248 are MSMEs, 105 are enterprises, 49 from collectives, and 307 producer responsibility organizations.
The Philippines generates 61,000 metric tons of waste per day, according to a World Bank study in 2021, with 35 percent going to open environments and oceans and 3 percent filing landfills and garbage dumps.
The economy is also said to lose 70 percent of the plastics' material value equivalent to $790 to $890 million annually.
GCNP Planet Pillar affirmed its commitment to help MSMEs and grassroots communities to implement sustainable operations and be active players in the circular economy. Through its vast private sector network, it conducts learning sessions for MSMEs and the general public on sustainability.