To enhance everyone’s right to a balanced and healthful ecology, the Supreme Court (SC) has urged all judiciary officials and personnel not to use single-use plastics in their daily activities and court operations.
Court procurement officers must consider avoiding the purchase of single-use plastics in favor of reusable or recyclable materials, the SC declared in Memorandum Order (MO) No. 74-2024.
It said that single-use plastics, such as plastic bags, straws, cups, cutlery, plates, and food containers “are some of the major contributors to environmental degradation, waterway pollution, and marine life destruction.”
Thus, the SC said: “Our mindful consumption as individuals and collectively as an institution of public trust can greatly address the danger they produce.”
As an alternative, the SC urged the use of sustainable materials such as cloth bags, metal or bamboo straws, reusable cutlery, plates, and reusable or biodegradable food containers.
It stressed that if plastic products are necessary and unavoidable, they should be reused, recycled, and disposed of properly, in accordance with the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act under Republic Act No. 9003.
RA 9003 mandates the adoption of a systematic, comprehensive, and ecological solid waste management program that ensures the protection of public health and the environment.
The SC also said RA 9003 sets guidelines and targets for solid waste avoidance and volume reduction through source reduction and waste minimization measures. The guidelines are complemented by various local ordinances banning the use of single-use plastics, it added.
In its MO, the SC said: “With the worsening global environment, this Court reinforces its responsibility and authority to adopt and encourage sustainable practices. The extreme heat of the past months and the expected severity of the upcoming rainy season portend future consequences.”
“Let us all do our part. Being mindful of our lifestyles and being conscious of the choices we make can also reduce the suffering of others,” it stressed.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in its website says: “In countries with poor solid waste management systems, plastic waste -- especially single-use plastic bags -- can be found clogging sewers and providing breeding grounds for mosquitoes and pests, and as a result, increasing the transmission of vector-borne diseases such as malaria.”
Thus, UNEP says “systemic change is needed to stop the flow of plastic waste ending up in the environment.”