The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on Thursday launched the National Plastic Action Partnership (NPAP) Philippines to effectively address the country’s plastic waste problem.

Speaking at the launch in Pasig City, Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga cited the significance of cooperation and partnership in addressing the worsening issue of plastic waste.

“The Philippines generates approximately 2.7 million metric tons of plastic waste each year. Tragically, a significant portion of this waste finds its way into our oceans, placing our country among the top reported contributors to marine plastic pollution globally,” she said.

Loyzaga explained that this crisis extends beyond environmental degradation and threatens biodiversity, the ecosystems’ integrity, sustainable livelihoods, and public health.

The NPAP Philippines is led by the DENR and supported by the World Economic Forum’s Global Plastic Action Partnership and partners like the UK Government, and the Government of Canada.

It is a locally driven platform uniting leaders from various sectors, including government, business, development organizations, and civil society to tackle plastic pollution and transition to a circular economy.

According to DENR data, the Philippines is in a waste crisis and generates 61,000 metric tons of waste per day, of which 12 to 24 percent are plastics.

The bulk of this plastic waste ends up in landfills, dumpsites, and the environment, contributing to climate and disaster risks, including frequent flooding.

“The NPAP aligns with our country’s national development priorities, specifically our broader goals of environmental integrity, economic resilience, and inclusive growth,” Loyzaga said.

Meanwhile, the development of a National Plastics Action Roadmap is targeted to be completed by August this year.

The roadmap will include a baseline assessment of the plastic situation in the country, investment requirements, and a financing roadmap with a mix of blended finance incentives and innovative financing instruments.

EPR enforcement

A key goal of the NPAP is the strict enforcement of Republic Act 11898 or the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Act of 2022, which requires producers to take responsibility for their plastic waste, with targets of recovering and diverting at least 20 percent of their plastic footprints by 2023 and 40 percent by 2024.

DENR Undersecretary Jonas Leones said the NPAP will assess EPR implementation and improve compliance.

“So we hope that we’ll be able to identify areas for strengthening the EPR and how we can improve compliance, identify what kinds of gaps exist in the implementation of that law so that they’ll be able to really achieve the objective,” he said.

Data from the DENR’s Environmental Management Bureau shows that as of May 2024, 917 companies have already registered under the EPR program.

Leones said the DENR will soon issue a notice of violation to non-compliant companies.

“Probably through the NPAP we can have a policy that can also revoke their, you know, business permit,” he said.

“So, we need to come up with a policy that we can really implement. We do not want to issue policies that the DENR cannot even implement. So, we’re just looking at policies that, of course, will be acceptable to all sectors,” he added.

Meanwhile, the DENR is also partnering with other government agencies such as the Department of Finance and the Department of Trade and Industry to incentivize compliant companies.

The measure is expected to be finalized in June. (PNA)