News and UpdatesIn the NewsOxo-degradable bags not exempt from Ord. 231

Oxo-degradable bags not exempt from Ord. 231

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Microplastics found in seafoods

An official from the Department of Science & Technology central office has clarified they do not test for the biodegradation of plastics, and that any claims by manufacturers that their plastics are “DOST-certified” as being biodegradable or oxo-biodegradable are misleading.

In a forum by the Dumaguete Environment & Natural Resources Office and DOST, Engr. Rey Esguerra clarified that DOST does not authorize the printing of the DOST ITDI ETV (Industrial Technology Development Institute-Environmental Technology Verification) stamp often found in oxo-degradable plastic bags.

The forum was held May 23 at the City Council Session Hall, and focused on Dumaguete Ordinance 231 that was passed back in 2011 to protect public health and the environment from plastic pollution.

The forum was attended by close to 40 local businessmen running hotels, restaurants, pharmacies, and other retail establishments.

DOST Provincial Director Atty. Gilbert Arbon said that Sec. 12 of Ordinance 231 specifies that vendors, business establishments, and individuals are not allowed to sell nor provide plastic bags as packaging for dry goods, or as secondary packaging for wet goods.

The Ordinance exempts plastic bags that “biodegrade” as “certified” by a government agency.

Engr. Esguerra explained that DOST does not certify biodegradable bags. The agency can only verify that samples provided by manufacturers oxo-degrade or photodegrade, that is, that they break to form microplastics under ultraviolet light.

International standards require at least three tests: photodegradation, biodegradation, and exo-toxicity.

Biodegradation refers to the breakdown of materials by microorganisms to form carbon dioxide, water, and other natural products. Eco-toxicity tests check for toxic residues from biodegradation.

While there are plastic bags, such as those made of starch, that are truly biodegradable, Engr. Esguerra noted these are expensive, and generally, not available in the Philippines.

All plastic bags in Dumaguete are synthetic materials originating from fossil fuel, a non-renewable resource.

“It usually takes a decade or more for plastics to fragment into microplastics, but the microplastic fragments can remain in the environment for hundreds of years,” explained Dr. Jorge Emmanuel, a former UN chief technical advisor who now teaches at Silliman University.

“Oxo-degradable plastic bags have chemicals, some of which are toxic, that cause the plastics to break into microplastics in a few months but many tests have shown that oxo-degradable plastics do not actually biodegrade,” he warned.

Dr. Emmanuel cited a 2018 European Commission report that concluded that oxo-degradable plastics could worsen the accumulation of microplastics in the ocean since there is no evidence that oxo-degradable plastics fully biodegrade.

He also cited the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s statement, signed by over 150 organizations including academic institutions, calling for a global ban on oxo-degradable plastic packaging.

“Already, scientists at the Negros Oriental State University and Silliman University are finding microplastics in our seafood, and the problem will only get worse if we continue to ignore the Ordinance,” he added.

Some local businesses at the forum expressed concern that their customers get mad when not provided with plastic bags for their purchases.

Engr. Chilvier Patrimonio, ENRO chief, noted that establishments have been given posters to display informing the public about Ordinance 231.

She vowed that that ENRO will strictly enforce the Ordinance.

“We should encourage customers to bring their own reusable bags; business establishments could also sell cloth tote bags and bayong as alternative,” suggested Esther Windler of the NGO Friends of the Environment Negros Oriental. “If we want to protect the health of our children and grandchildren, we should have the courage to say NO to single-use plastic bags.” (Merci Ferrer)

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