Another bill filed by Rep. Francisco “Kiko” Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) on Extended Producers’ Responsibility (EPR) has lapsed into law.
It is now known as Republic Act 118981, an act institutionalizing the extended producer responsibility on plastic packaging waste, amending RA 9003 otherwise known as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, Benitez said Monday, August 1.
Benitez bill lapsed into law on July 23 without the signature of former president Rodrigo Duterte.
Benitez was a member of the Bicameral Conference Committee that consolidated similar EPR bills passed by the Senate and the House.
The EPR Law shares the local government units responsibility of waste recovery with plastic manufacturers, Benitez said.
Under this law, plastic producers are mandated to recover, collect and clean-up plastics so that plastic waste does not leak into the environment and harm ecosystems. This is aimed towards plastic neutrality and circular economy, he added.*