71% of Pinoys want ban vs. single-use plastics, SWS survey shows

A recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed that 71% of Filipinos want single-use plastics to be banned at all times.

Based on survey results presented by SWS Deputy Director Vladimir Licudine on Tuesday, 71% of the respondents want plastic sando bags to be regulated o used less.

Aside from sando bags, they also want the following materials to be regulated or used less:

• plastic straws and stirrers (66%)
• plastic ‘labo’ bags (65%)
• styrofoam food containers (64%)
• sachets (60%)
• tetrapack or doypack for juices (59%)
• plastic drinking cups (56%)
• cutlery like plastic spoon and fork (54%)
• plastic bottles for juice (49%)
• plastic bottles for water (41%)

However, 10% of respondents preferred a higher price imposed on the use of single-use plastics than a total ban.

The survey results also showed that six out of 10 Filipino are willing to buy their food condiments in recyclable and refillable containers instead of in sachets. Most of them, at 73%, belong to Class E.

Officials of the Social Weather Stations and environment advocate groups discuss on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020, the results of a commissioned 2019 SWS survey on single-use plastics. From L-R: SWS Deputy Director Vladimir Licudine, GAIA Philippines executive director Froilan Grate, Break Free From Plastic Asia Pacific coordinator Beau Baconguis, and EcoWaste Coalition policy and advocacy officer Patricia Nicdao. Joviland Rita

Due to this, Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) Philippines executive director Froilan Grate doubted the assumptions that sachet use is pro-poor.

“The results of the survey puts into question the common excuse from the big companies that sachets are pro-poor,” he said in a statement.

“Sachets and other single-use plastics are not pro-poor. People buy in sachets because an alternative distribution or packaging systems are not being made available by multinational companies,” he added.

In addition, four out of 10 agreed that companies should look for alternative materials to plastic.

Break Free From Plastic Asia Pacific coordinator Beau Baconguis said this result is a “message to political leaders and business.”

“Filipinos reject single-use plastic,” she said.

Patricia Nicdao, EcoWaste Coalition policy and advocacy officer, said the country urgently needs a law that will ban single-use plastics at the national level.

In December last year, the Quezon City government approved an ordinance that prohibited the use of throw-away plates, spoons, forks, and cups in hotels and restaurants.

Also, in November last year, President Rodrigo Duterte floated the idea to ban the use of plastics, which according to him would require legislative action. 

The SWS survey commissioned by GAIA was conducted from September 27 to 30 in 2019.

It involved 600 respondents each in Balance Luzon and Mindanao, and 300 each in Metro Manila and Visayas with sampling error of +2% for national percentages.

The survey used face to face interviews using structured questionnaires with visuals. —KG, GMA News