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A broader look at today’s business n
Sunday, May 21, 2023 Vol. 18 No. 216
P25.00 nationwide | 2 sections 12 pages | 7 DAYS A WEEK
WHAT GOES AROUND
COMES AROUND
Public, private cooperation shows ‘whole-of- society approach’ is key to Extended Producer Responsibility law’s success
C
By Roderick L. Abad Contributor
OOPERATION of multistakeholders and consumer behavioral change are necessary to make the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) law, or Republic Act (RA) 11898, succeed in addressing the perennial plastic waste problem in the country and advancing a circular economy towards a more sustainable future.
CIRCULAR ECONOMY
DEPARTMENT of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Ma. Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga keynotes the forum dubbed “Rethinking Plastics: EPR paving the way towards circularity” held at the DENR Social Hall in Quezon City.
tion, recovery, treatment, recycling and/or disposal. Such legislative measure lapsed into law on July 23, 2022. Earlier this year, Loyzaga signed its implementing rules and regulations (IRR). She noted that RA 11898 “is a good start and a wiser approach to waste reduction” that enables producers to become environmentally responsible and balances the process of handling wastes all throughout.
LINEAR ECONOMY
PETER VARGA | DREAMSTIME.COM
In a recent media briefing, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga flagged the critical need to produce volumes of products and packaging sustainably based on market demand. “The EPR is, I feel, a very concrete first step in putting order in this system,” she told reporters, referring to the policy that requires big companies and enterprises to be ecologically responsible throughout the life cycle of their products—from manufacturing to usage and post-consumer stage— by establishing EPR programs and mechanisms that guarantee effective ways to manage plastic packaging waste with focus on reduc-
Promising law
NOW that the EPR law is in place, hopes are high that it will create positive impacts on the country’s economy and environment. Continued on A2
NATIONAL Solid Waste Management Commission Vice Chairman Crispian Lao (left) talks about the Expanded Producer Responsibility (EPR) law during a forum held at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)office in Quezon City. Joining him in the panel discussion are DENR Undersecretary Atty. Annaliza Teh (center) and Nestlé Philippines Corporate Affairs Head Jose Uy III (right).
NESTLÉ Philippines Corporate Affairs Head Jose Uy III (middle) listens to one of the participants in the roundtable discussions about the implementation of the EPR Act.
ATTENDEES dive deeper into the enforcement of the EPR Act specifically in terms of compliance and integration among stakeholders, innovation of EPR programs, and collaboration between the private sector, civil society and the government.
PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 55.9670 n JAPAN 0.4036 n UK 69.4439 n HK 7.1508 n CHINA 7.9532 n SINGAPORE 41.5340 n AUSTRALIA 37.0558 n EU 60.2877 n KOREA 0.0420 n SAUDI ARABIA 14.9249 Source: BSP (May 19, 2023)