City dads want cheap alternative

ILOILO CITY, Philippines — Members of the City Council wanted to make sure that the proposed alternative to plastic bags used by establishments here are affordable and safe to the environment.

Councilor David Jamora, chairperson of the committee on environment, in his progress report cited some recommendations like conducting committee hearings, getting a list of non-environmentally accepted plastic products, what types of plastic products establishments in the city are using and the volume of plastic products disposed at the dumpsite.

Jamora recommended to the Council to ask the DOST for recycling machines for non-biodegradable plastic bags and a list of products from Noli Jimenez, the supplier of the so-called environment-friendly plastics, to determine which of these are acceptable for public use.

Councilor Edward Yee, for his part, wanted to know what kind of replacement to plastic bags the city can recommend besides biodegradable plastic bag proposed by Jimenez.

The Council may invite Jimenez to explain if his products meet the standards of RA 9003, or the Solid Waste Management Act, and if these are not more than 10 percent higher than normal price of plastic products, said Jamora. - THE FREEMAN