The Philippine Center for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development, INC (PCEPSDI), through its Sustainable Packaging Towards Marine Litter Reduction Project, held an Online Policy Dialogue entitled: “Enhancing Solid Waste Management and Advancing Sustainable Packaging” on October 26, 2021. The event aims to present the results of the roundtable discussion in Iloilo City and Bacolod City, to deliver challenges, opportunities, and areas of improvement on solid waste management & promotion of sustainable packaging, and to provide an avenue on open discussion in solid waste management and sustainable packaging.
The first speaker for the webinar was Philippine Center for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development Inc. (PCEPSDI) Project Consultant, Dr. Maria Angela Zafra, who talked about Market Supply and Demand for sustainable packaging where she presented the market readiness study. She discussed that sustainable packaging should be effective, efficient, cyclic, and safe. Biodegradable Reusable and Compostable Packaging, which are alternative packaging to single-use plastics, are also introduced.
The Project Assistant of Philippine Center or Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development Inc. (PCEPSDI), Ms. Kim Castillo, presented the results of the roundtable discussion in Bacolod City and Iloilo City. The 10-year Solid Waste Management Plans of the two municipalities, as well as the challenges and recommendations in the resource regeneration & protection, improvement of solid waste management, promotion of alternative packaging products, and public awareness on solid waste management was presented. There would be a Policy Recommendation Guidelines that contains the results of the research and policy dialogue between the two municipalities, which will be endorsed to the LGUs to provide policy recommendations on Solid Waste Management and Sustainable Packaging with key aspects on SCP.
The Policy Dialogue proper was moderated by Prof. Edmond “Macky” Maceda, the Sustainability Director for Enderun Colleges, and Sustainable officer for the United Nations. He introduced the panelist: Mr. Bert Guevarra of Green Solutions 128, Ms. Nikki Sevilla of EcoNest, Mr. Marian Ledesma of Greenpeace Philippines, and Dr. Sonny Domingo of the Philippine Institute for Development Studies. The policy dialogue consisted of presentations from the panelists, such as the 5-point philosophy and 4-level waste diversion scheme to solid waste disposal and recovery, design & manufacturing to alternative packaging, and the areas of improvement for policy makers in setting the right regulation to solid waste management. Best practices of LGUs like increasing the number of Materials Recovery Facilities, enactment and regulation of single-use plastic ordinances, partnership of LGUs to manufacturers of Eco bricks, and the National Ecology Center was also commended.
