Baguio businessmen agree with plastic bag ordinance – Philippines

Posted on May 15, 2012 by DrRossH in Plastic Limiting Regulations

Baguio businessmen agree with plastic bag ordinance | Sun.Star.

‘Plastic bags are not the problem, users are’ is the emphasis by plastic manufacurers not wanting to loose their profits at the expense of the environment.  Sounds like guns are not the problem users are.  Yet we know when guns are removed from society the number of deaths by shooting go down drastically.  If plastic bags and other similar plastic items were not so prolifically produced by manufacturers wanting to exploit their product, and handed out for free, then we would not have all this plastic waste to deal with.  There is no other way to say it, but the manufacturers are a big part of this problem along with consumer behaviour. 
If the bags were not free but charged for, then based on evidence from other places that have done this, the consumption will go down substantially. What will the manufacturers then say?  Perhaps they would come up with “it is everyone’s natural right to be given free plastic and charging for them is not right”?  
Plastic ought to be considered a hazardous product base on its non biodegradable properties and potential to do damage to infrastructure and the environment, and therefore have restrictions placed upon its use.  We all have excise tax on our gasoline and no one complains, so why not place a disposal tax on plastic?