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Nearly all businesses in Makati heeding ban on plastic bags, says city govt


More than 90 percent of businesses in Makati City are now complying with the ban on plastic bags, nearly a year after the city government enforced the ordinance regulating the use of packaging materials.
 
The Plastic Monitoring Task Force (PMTF) found 90 to 92 percent of businesses are toeing the line when it comes to the city's Plastic Regulation Program, according to the City Government of Makati 
 
Danilo Villas, Department of Environmental Services (DES) head, said in a statement posted online, the compliance rating was 92 percent between January and March 2014, noting only 366 or 8 percent of the 4,519 establishments monitored for the period violated the ordinance. 
 
In June to December 2013, PMTF teams inspected 6,373 establishments and found 649 violated the ordinance, according to the city government.
 
The monitoring teams have representatives from the Makati Action Center and DES Solid Waste Management Division.
 
The DES and local officials have held seminar-workshops for barangay personnel on the Solid Waste Management Code and the Plastic Regulation Program.
 
Under the ordinance, businesses may provide – either for free or for a fee – paper bags, cloth bags, basket and woven bags made of biodegradable packaging materials, woven native bags, and other similar materials in lieu of plastic bags. 
 
Individual violators face a fine of P1,000 or jail time of five to 30 days. Companies or establishments will be fined P5,000, and the owners also face a possible jail term of a month to a year.
 
Exempted from the order are plastic bottled products like bottled water, ice tea, cooking oil, alcohol, mayonnaise, jelly, peanut butter, and coco jam.
 
Also exempted are plastic sachet products like shampoo and conditioner, soap/detergent, noodles; cosmetics; cigarette case; and plastic bags at least 15 microns think as primary packaging on wet goods.
 
Establishments are also required to place a clearly marked “Plastic Bag Recovery Bin” at the main doors to collect, recycle and dispose plastic bags. – Joel Locsin/VS, GMA News
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