Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

4055

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by HONORABLE OSCAR G. MALAPITAN

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Purchasing food, household needs and other commodities are a
way of life. The purchase of commodities is ended by securing the
needed commodities in a plastic shopping bag. The plastic shopping bag
has been our aid and partner whenever we do our grocery shopping.

The Polymer scientists did a good job when they invented plastic.
It is a technology that has brought forth to mankind the convenience of
using plastic products such as grocery bags, packaging materials and
other plastic bags. This plastic technology delivered to us a plastic bag
which is thin and yet strong and can be reused several times. Plastic
bags are much cheaper than any other bags because they are
manufactured using lesser raw materials. The raw material used to
produce plastic is only a by-product of crude oil or natural gas. Trees
are not cut to produce plastic bags. The plastic industry created
hundreds of thousands of jobs including the Plastic Bag Recycling which
alone employs about 180,000 people in the year 2006. These recyclable
dealers are the ones servicing the local government units to ensure that
the recovered plastic shopping bags are properly recycled.

Plastic is a wonder technology made ugly by its own advantage. It
does not degrade and because of this, it has become a threat to the
environment because uncollected plastic bag is in the environment
Uncollected plastic bag float in the ocean and clog waterways. Plastic
does not degrade - that was some decades ago. Technologies have now
become available which can produce plastic products such as shopping
bags and packaging materials which harmoniously degrade at the end of
their useful life. The plastic industry classifies the plastic shopping bags
currently used in the market for a better analysis of plastic bags:


a) Single Use Plastic Bags - commonly used in the wet markets
and may be considered as “ultra thin” with thickness ranging
from 6 microns to 12 microns. These bags can carry a 1 kilo
load and are often discarded after first use.

Reusable Plastic Bags ~ with thickness above 15 microns, often
kept and reused by households and eventually used as garbage
bags for sanitary disposal.

Oxo-Biodegradable Plastic Bags - are plastics that biodegrade
through a two stage process. In the first stage, additives in the
plastic help to catalyze and accelerate oxidation. This aids in
the breakdown of polymer chains in the plastics to smaller and
wettable fragments. In the second stage, microorganisms
access the carbon and hydrogen making the remaining
fragments biodegrade into carbon dioxide, water, and biomass,
leaving no plastic or harmful residues behind.

b)

°)

Oxo-bio degradable plastic degrade on land or sea, in the light or
the dark in heat or cold leaving no methane and no harmful residues.
‘This is being supported by the Oxo-Biodegradable Plastic Association of
London, England, which consist of the World’s most distinguished
Polymer Scientist and has worldwide membership.

Plastic is degradable and emits only carbon dioxide when
degraded, which in turn is absorbed and used by the plants to
manufacture their food. Oxo-bio degradable plastic is environment-
friendly and it is even safe for food contact. Oxo-bio degradable plastic is
a very viable alternative to eliminating plastic pollution. The best option
is to require the use of oxo-bio degradable plastic. Oxo-bio degradable
plastic shopping bags when collected can be recycled into other plastic
products. Oxo-bio degradable plastic if not collected will degrade and
disappear leaving no harmful residues in the environment.

The plastic bag manufacturers have taken the initiative of self
regulation by submitting samples of these degradable plastic products
for evaluation to the Department of Science and Technology - Industrial
Technology Development Institute. The Institute has issued an
Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) certificate to these
manufacturers which in turn is now being required by retailers to plastic
manufacturers to ensure that these degradable plastic will not pose any
harmful effect to the environment when disposed.

The recovery system mandated by this bill shall lead all citizens to
exert effort and give their share to protect our environment by bringing
the used plastic bags to stores and commercial establishments who in
turn shall provide the logistics for recovery of these plastic shopping
bags.


This bill seeks to encourage the use of degradable plastic shopping
bags and support the program of 3Rs (Reuse, Retrieve and Recycle) to
protect our environment from plastic pollution, to promote and protect
employment and to make the best use of the technology of polymer
science by using degradable plastic. In short, this new invention is an
environment-friendly plastic bags that will replace those which have
harmful effects to our Mother Nature.

In view of the foregoing considerations, approval of this bill is
requested.



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 4055

Introduced by: HONORABLE OSCAR G. MALAPITAN

AN ACT
REQUIRING MALLS, SUPERMARKETS, GROCERY STORES,
CONVENIENCE STORES, WET AND PUBLIC MARKET TO USE
OXO-BIODEGRADABLE PLASTIC SHOPPING BAGS

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives
of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Title. - This Act shall be known as the “ Degradable
Plastic Bag Act of 2011”

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - Consistent with the policy of the
State to ensure the conservation and preservation of our natural
environment, the State shall promote the use of oxo-biodegradable
plastic shopping bag as a carry bag in all malls, supermarkets, grocery
stores, convenience store, wet markets, public markets and other stores.
This oxo-biodegradable plastic bag will pose no danger to the
environment and to the people both during their use, reuse and disposal.

SEC. 3. Definitions. As used in this bill, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:

a) OPERATOR - A person who may include, but is not limited to,
the owner of the store, managing or responsible for the daily
operation of a store.

b) STORE - A retail establishment that provides plastic shopping
bags to its customers as a result of a sale of merchandise which
may include, but not limited to malls, supermarkets, grocery
stores, convenience stores, wet market and public market.


qd

MANUFACTURER - plastic bag and degradable plastic bag
maker including recyclers.

q)

DEGRADABLE PLASTIC BAG — plastic bag which are designed
to breakdown and disintegrate within a given period of time.

)

OXO-BIODEGRADABLE PLASTIC BAGS - are plastics that
biodegrade through a two stage process. In the first stage,
additives in the plastic help to catalyze and accelerate oxidation.
This aids in the breakdown of polymer chains in the plastics to
smaller and wettable fragments. In the second stage,
microorganisms access the carbon and hydrogen making the
remaining fragments biodegrade into carbon dioxide, water,
and biomass, leaving no plastic or harmful residues behind.

f) PLASTIC - polymer shopping bag or carry bag which does not
degrade or decompose given a period of time.

g) PPIA - Philippine Plastic industry Association

h) PAGASA - Philippine Amalgamated Supermarkets Association,
Inc.

i) PASI - Philippine Association of Supermarket, Inc.

SEC. 4. Degradable Plastic Bag Identification
Requirements. - The degradable plastic bag shall contain the
following:

a) The degradable plastic bag shall bear with it the prints or label
of “oxo-biodegradable” or “degradable” on a readable font type
and size.

b) The name of the manufacturer of the degradable plastic bag

must be printed on the bag.

Degradable plastic bag must be printed with the international

logo of the Plastic Coding System for the proper reuse and

recycle of the plastic bag.

d) The Environmental Technology Verification Registration (ETV
Registration No.) of the manufacturer of the degradable plastic
bag must also be printed on the plastic bag.

°

SEC. 5. Environmental Technology Verification
Registration. - The manufacturer of degradable plastic bag must
obtain an Environmental Technology Verification Registration
under the Industrial Technology Development Institute of the
Department of Science & Technology.


SEC. 6 - Minimum Thickness of Degradable Plastic Bag. -
To encourage recycling and reuse of plastic shopping bag and
discourage the use of the so-called ‘one-time use’ plastic bag, the
minimum thickness for degradable plastic bag is 15 microns.

SEC. 7. Coverage. - This Act shall cover stores such as malls,
supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores, wet markets,
public markets, and the like.

SEC. 8. Linkage Coordination for 3Rs (Reuse, Retrieve and
Recycle). - The coordination of the following groups and association is
sought to form alliances for the mutual assistance and partnership
whenever applicable for the promotion and implementation of 3Rs,
Reuse, Retrieval and Recycling of used plastic bag.

6.1 Plastic Bag manufacturer

6.2 Philippine Plastic Industry Association (PPIA)

6.3 Philippine Association of Supermarket, Inc. (PASI)

6.4 Philippine Amalgamated Supermarkets Association,
Inc. (PAGASA)

6.5 All other stores

SEC. 9. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The
Department of Environment and Natural Resources together with the
Department of Trade and Industry with the stakeholders shall
promulgate the rules and regulations as it may deem necessary and

appropriate for the implementation and enforcement of the provisions of
this Act.

SEC. 10. Repealing Clause. - All laws, presidential decrees,
executive orders, ordinances, rules and regulations, and part thereof,
which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, are hereby
amended, repealed or modified accordingly.

SEC. 11. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved,