MANILA: The Philippines financial capital banned disposable plastic shopping bags and styrofoam food containers yesterday, as part of escalating efforts across the nation’s capital to curb rubbish blamed for deadly flooding.
After a widespread publicity campaign leading up to the ban, Makati city environment protection officers began handing out fines of P5,000 ($115) to shops and supermarkets caught distributing the bags.
Rowena Rosario, who sells hot meals at a sidewalk stall, often packed in plastic bags, said the city ordinance was making life difficult. “Most of my orders are take-out. Now, I have to use paper bags but what if the food has a lot of sauce? No one is going to bring plates here,” she said glumly.
There is strong resistance to the ban, particularly amongst the poor, said Xenelit Camarce, one of the ban enforcers who spoke after inspecting a public market.
“A lot of people, especially those sidewalk vendors, they are still using it. But the ones really complaining are the customers, those buying fish and chicken,” she said.
While Makati, one of 17 cities or districts that make up Metro Manila, still allows food to be wrapped in plastic, it has banned the bags that shops and restaurants traditionally issue for free.
Styrofoam food containers and plastic cups are also banned.
Consumers are given the option of paper alternatives or not using any bags, with supermarkets encouraging shoppers to bring their own. “We have issued a lot of tickets,” Makati environment officer, Danny Villas, said.
Tow-truck crew member John Regalio shrugged with resignation as he bought juice drinks poured into paper cups instead of inside sealed small plastic bags, the preferred local way of serving beverages to customers on the go.
“The plastic bags held more juice. And you didn’t have to worry about spilling anything. But what can you do when it is the law?” he said.
Makati is home to many of the country’s foreign embassies, biggest corporations and banks, swankiest shopping malls and about 2,900 restaurants. Although its official population is just over 600,000, this swells to about 3.7 million in the daytime when thousands of commuters travel to the area to work, city officials said.
AFP
