Hanoi (VNA) – The Philippines is developing a national plastics roadmap to identify gaps in policies and investment, while coordinating resources from the Government, the private sector and development partners to address the worsening problem of plastic pollution and waste.
At the ASEAN Regional Dialogue for Circular Economy in Makati city on September 22, Undersecretary of the country’s Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Jonas Leones said government agencies, local governments and development partners are already implementing programmes to address plastic waste, but noted that the efforts need to be mapped to identify gaps, the Philippine News Agency reported.
He stressed the importance of financing in implementing the roadmap as development partners can support activities that remain unfunded or have yet to be developed.
Leones said the government is also looking at technologies and successful waste-management practices from other countries and local governments that could be adapted to Philippine conditions.
Marco Gemmer, Head of Cooperation of the European Union Delegation to the Philippines, noted that the EU is also looking at how European businesses can help meet local governments' investment and technology needs.
Director of the DENR Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) Michael Drake Matias said the government is also working to strengthen implementation of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programme, which requires covered companies to recover plastic packaging waste.
To date, he said about 1,059 entities are registered with the EMB, including more than 200 obliged enterprises, while smaller businesses may participate voluntarily.
The two-day conference is expected to help promote a coordinated ASEAN approach to the circular economy amid growing challenges posed by plastic pollution and waste in many countries across the region./.
VNA
