‘Magbalik-bayong tayo’

That bagful of plea comes from the Mother Earth Foundation, which is passionately pushing the balik-bayong (reusable bag) advocacy of the EcoWaste Coalition, of which it is a member.

Remember how as a little kid you would tag along your mommy to the palengke? And remember Mommy always lugging around her lowly, weather-beaten but trusty bayong? When she got home from the market, she would empty her bayong (it was made from palm leaves), then wash it to take off the fishy (or meaty) smell, and then gingerly hang it to dry on the clothesline in the backyard. She did this religiously until she got too old to go to the market. Her bayong has gathered dust since then.

It must have been ages since you last saw anyone carrying a bayong to the market.

So, welcome back, dear old bayong!

Sonia Mendoza, chairman of the Mother Earth Foundation, recently went to SM Makati and bought some bedsheets, pillow cases, and a rice cooker. While paying for her purchases at the cash register, she turned down the offer of plastic bags and instead tied her purchases (they were already individually packed anyway) together with a string.

At the South Supermarket where she does her monthly groceries, Sonia always brings along her bayong, where the bagger at the counter puts all her grocery items.

“I deposit these reusable bags at the package counter and retrieve them when I’m ready to pay,” says Sonia.

Hopefully, with the bayong, the country’s plastic problem is in the bag.

Sonia shares, “All the dumpsites I’ve visited (and I’ve visited many) are filled with plastic bags that will take a thousand years to biodegrade, while causing one of the worst eyesores in our country’s landscape.”

Here’s why we should say no to plastics, according to the Mother Earth Foundation: “Plastics leach out toxic substances. Manufacturers use a variety of additivies, such as plasticizers for flexibility, flame-retardants, colorants, etc. Heavy metals such as cadmium, mercury, and lead are common additives.”

About two years ago, the EcoWaste Coalition was part of the group called upon by the National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC) to discuss extended producer responsibility (EPR), but it has not met since then.

Sonia relates, “I’m also a representative of the EcoWaste Coalition (representing the NGOs) in the non-environmentally accepted packaging (NEAP) working committee chaired by the the Department of Trade and Industry and NSWMC, and our objective to put up a list of NEAP has not materialized. Under Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, Article 4, Section 29, Non-Environmentally Acceptable Products: ‘Within one year from the effectivity of this Act, the Commission shall, after public notice and hearing, prepare a list of non-environmentally acceptable products as defined in this Act that shall be prohibited according to a schedule that shall be prepared by the Commission.’ RA 9003 was signed into law on January 26, 2001, making the producer or manufacturer responsible for products they produce up to the end of the life cycle of the product. Because of this responsibility, they should be able to take back a product when the consumer has no more use for it. At present, we, the consumers, are burdened with these problematic products, like plastic packaging and products which cannot be recycled and are simply dumped in the dumpsites.”

Under the EPR, Sonia adds that the producer would deem it wise to use non-toxic raw materials to avoid having problems in the handling of these discarded products when these are given back to them. “EPR advocates a closed loop system, a cradle-to-cradle process as against a cradle-to-grave approach. The latter is a typical approach to a waste disposal system such as dumpsites, landfills, incinerators.”

Mother Earth says, “It is only with an EPR that our society can have zero waste (or darn close to it).”

Kudos to Mayor Reinaldo Bautista and the City Council of Baguio City for its ordinance on the use of bayong bags made of buri and other biodegradable packaging, with the aim of making the establishments in the City of Pines plastic-free in five years.

This month, Rustan’s Fresh Supermarket is launching its bayong (made of katsa or cheesecloth) campaign. This chic bayong costs P99.95. Under Rustan’s Fresh’s loyalty program, customers who use their bayong get two points for every item that can fit into the bayong instead of just one.

When will the other establishments follow suit?

It seems that a lot of people, celebrities included, are thinking green. Even our favorite “pirate” Keira Knightley was spotted with her boyfriend Rupert Friend (yes, that’s his name) carrying a reusable $15 Anya Hindmarch canvas tote filled with fresh greens as they walked out of a supermarket in London. Keira cares for the environment.

Do you?

* * *

We’d love to hear from you. E-mail us at ching_alano@yahoo.com.