Zero Waste Month: Legarda pushes for an end to use of single-use plastics
Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda on Thursday, January 4, urged Filipinos to shun the use of single-use plastics and to be more practical in terms of waste disposal.
Legarda made the call as the country observes Zero Waste Month, as she renews her call for the Philippines to re-assess its stand on climate justice at the heels of the 28th UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai.
“We must push ourselves to live more sustainably since plastics use fossil fuels, which in turn contributes to more greenhouse gas emissions in the world,” Legarda asserted.
“Despite living a simple life, we can lean on using materials that are sustainable, reusable, and non-harmful to the environment to lessen our dependency on single-use plastics,” she insisted.
Pursuant to Proclamation No. 760, s. 2014, all government units and departments are urged to extend their support and participate in endeavors dedicated to the observance of the month.
Legarda said the use of single-use plastics remain a threat to the environment, especially in the local setting, where most people carelessly throw wastes in rivers and tributaries, causing clogging and leading to widespread flooding.
“(It is) endangering thousands of lives in the process,” the senator lamented.
“Not everything is recycled. It ends up at either landfills or the ocean, again endangering the delicate balance of our ecosystem, which may lead to problems in food security,” she pointed out.