Lawmaker files a bill for "Plastic Bag Pollution Fund"

Pwersa ng Bayaning Atleta (PBA) Partylist Rep. Mark Aeron Sambar filed a bill which will demand customers to pay at least P5 for each plastic bag they will consume for the goods they purchased.

The party list congressman filed the House Bill 4462, defined as the "Plastic Bag Use Disincentive Act of 2011" seeks to create a fund that will support the government's programs and projects for the reduction of the use of plastic bags in the country.

When passed, the bill will allow big establishments to charge customers not less than P5 per plastic bag, regardless of size, when buying items or products.

Sambar said that the price of the plastic bags will not be subject to sales tax, but will be separately labeled under the "Plastic Bag Pollution Clean Up Charge."

Moreover, a provision in the bill states that the amount which will be collected from the plastic bag fees will be turned over to the government through the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and will be placed in a special fund called the "Plastic Bag Pollution Fund."

According to Sambar, the funds will also be used for projects that will lessen the use of plastic bags and encourage consumers to use reusable bags instead.

Under the proposed bill, the DENR can use the Plastic Bag Pollution Fund for the development and implementation of programs that will encourage and support pollution prevention, abatement and clean up, green chemistry, water quality protection and clean up as well as environmental and public education and outreach programs. — CCSD