THE DANGERS OF PLASTIC
There is a draft ordinance before the City Council that prohibits the sale, use and installation of platic or non-biodegradable materials as decorations for fiestas and any occasion in Olongapo City.
Sponsored by Councilor Jong Cortez, Committee Chair on City Environmental Protection, the proposal came about after Mayor Bong Gordon and Cortez observed that almost two months after the City Fiesta last December, there are still “banderitas” hanging along the streets. Based on past observations, it usually takes years before buntings are taken down, or worst not all.
EcoWaste Coalition, a waste and pollution watchdog, commented in a blog that “Fiesta Buntings Are Environmental Burdens.” (http://ecowastecoalition.blogspot.com) “The wild use of disposable buntings such as those made of plastic bags, product advertisements and packaging scraps indicates a sorry lack of awareness regarding the adverse impact of these single-use fiesta accessories to our environment and climate,” says EcoWaste Coalition President Manny Calonzo.
Calonzo also added that, “The “banderitas” add to the tons of post-fiesta discards that are usually disposed through ecologically harmful practices such as dumping and burning, which destroy resources and produce toxic emissions.”
To minimize pollution and revive the ailing health of our environment, according to the group “it is imperative for the governmental and church authorities to institute proactive measures that will curb wasteful practices, including a ban on disposable plastic buntings.”
According to Cortez, if ever the said draft ordinance will be passed “we (Olongapo City) will be the first city in the country to have passed an ordinance banning the use of plastic as decorations. Ang plastic, kahit ilang taon, maiiwan pa rin sa ating landfills and they’ll just continuously pile up.”
It can be recalled that most of Mayor Gordon’s projects are geered towards cleaning up and preserving the environment because he believes that “ito ang tunay na yaman ng Olongapo.”
Because it has been a long time practice and tradition, people can still put up “banderitas” made up of alternative materials which are readily available that does not cost anything and at the same time, environment-friendly, such as scraps of colored fabric that can be washed and can be reused for several years.
Sponsored by Councilor Jong Cortez, Committee Chair on City Environmental Protection, the proposal came about after Mayor Bong Gordon and Cortez observed that almost two months after the City Fiesta last December, there are still “banderitas” hanging along the streets. Based on past observations, it usually takes years before buntings are taken down, or worst not all.
EcoWaste Coalition, a waste and pollution watchdog, commented in a blog that “Fiesta Buntings Are Environmental Burdens.” (http://ecowastecoalition.blogspot.com) “The wild use of disposable buntings such as those made of plastic bags, product advertisements and packaging scraps indicates a sorry lack of awareness regarding the adverse impact of these single-use fiesta accessories to our environment and climate,” says EcoWaste Coalition President Manny Calonzo.
Calonzo also added that, “The “banderitas” add to the tons of post-fiesta discards that are usually disposed through ecologically harmful practices such as dumping and burning, which destroy resources and produce toxic emissions.”
To minimize pollution and revive the ailing health of our environment, according to the group “it is imperative for the governmental and church authorities to institute proactive measures that will curb wasteful practices, including a ban on disposable plastic buntings.”
According to Cortez, if ever the said draft ordinance will be passed “we (Olongapo City) will be the first city in the country to have passed an ordinance banning the use of plastic as decorations. Ang plastic, kahit ilang taon, maiiwan pa rin sa ating landfills and they’ll just continuously pile up.”
It can be recalled that most of Mayor Gordon’s projects are geered towards cleaning up and preserving the environment because he believes that “ito ang tunay na yaman ng Olongapo.”
Because it has been a long time practice and tradition, people can still put up “banderitas” made up of alternative materials which are readily available that does not cost anything and at the same time, environment-friendly, such as scraps of colored fabric that can be washed and can be reused for several years.
A recent image shows buntings (banderitas) installed for the celebration of the City Fiesta last December which are now faded but still hanging along a busy street.PAO/chay
Labels: danger of plastic, environment protection
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