QC gov’t to resume ban on plastic bags beginning March 1

CNN – Published Feb 13, 2021 5:20:04 PM

Metro Manila — The use of plastic bags will be prohibited anew in Quezon City starting March 1, the city government said on Saturday.

Mayor Joy Belmonte said the city will resume the full implementation of the City Ordinance 2868-2019, which bans the use and distribution of plastic bags—a move seen as crucial to support the worldwide call to cut plastic wastes.

The memorandum covers all shopping malls, supermarkets, fast food chains, drug stores and other retailers registered under the Business Permits and Licensing Department.

“We will not allow the retailers to use plastic bags anymore at the check-out counters,” she was quoted as saying in the statement.

Belmonte said consumers must bring their own reusable bags.

The use of brown paper bags in groceries and retail stores will also be banned beginning 2022.

The ordinance also mandates that restaurants and hotels operating in Quezon City will also have to abandon single use plastics and disposable materials such as plastic utensils; paper/plastic cups, plates, straws, and other single-use plastic and disposable materials including styrofoam to customers dining in their establishments.

Hotels, likewise, are prohibited from distributing soap, shampoo, and “other items used for hygienic purposes in sachets and single-use containers.”

For food delivery and take away orders, establishments, including Grab Food and Food Panda, are urged to include a “by-request protocol”, where customers would be asked if they need single-use plastic utensils and condiment sachets.

“We would also like to remind the public that eco bags or reusable bags should be properly disinfected before and after use in groceries and markets. We are also encouraging the public to use their own eating utensils in their homes and offices as they consume their take away food,” Environmental Protection and Waste Management Department Head Andrea Villaroman said.

SOURCE: https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/2/13/qc-to-resume-platic-bags-ban-march-1.html?%3F%3F&fbclid=IwAR2kjjc_-VbfOL_jP57s6SNXS81FPJmUvDVL-BiNaIhOslXhRnaigQtHvDk