A petition seeking to compel government action to ban non-biodegradable and recycle plastics was filed before the Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday.
In a 101-page suit, the petitioners led by Oceana Philippines, Inc. and Sergio Osmeña III sought a writ of kalikasan and a writ of continuing mandamus for the full implementation of a 21-year-old law, Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.
The groups urged the SC to hand down a writ to among other things, immediately prohibit commercial establishments, warehouses and manufacturers from selling, conveying, distributing and using disposable plastics, plastic products that contain Bisphenol-A (commonly known as BPA), phthalates, and other known endocrine disrupting chemicals.
The petitioners also sought to prohibit plastic products that contain listed persistent organic pollutants under the Stockholm Convention and plastic products that are not reusable, biodegradable or compostable, not recyclable and are toxic or hazardous to the environment.
Nominal respondents include the National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC) and other offices.
The groups said the continued non-implementation of RA 9003 through the decades has allowed the unabated emission of millions of tons of plastic waste into every part of the archipelago.
“The United Nations Environment Programme and the World Economic Forum estimate that the world’s oceans will contain more plastic than fish by 2050,” the group said.
Source: Philippines News Agency
