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| The lush greens of Los Banos, Laguna (photo source: lonjaurigue.wordpress.com) |
I first encountered the plastic bag ban from where else but the suburban town of Los Banos in Laguna, Philippines. We went there for a family leisure trip and I was surprised (and somehow inconvenienced at the time) to have to carry a big (used) box of goodies coming out of the supermarket. For smaller items, they use the brown bag or for any number of items that can fit in their biggest bag. It was the first time I experienced such.
Everything you buy in this town, whether it be groceries, school supplies, take-out food, hardware items, and what-not, the brown bag (or box) it is!... Or, you can bring your own bag. Upon learning that it was an ordinance implemented by the local government, I can't help but feel utmost respect and admiration towards the government officials and the locals as well. To be able to do that takes one hell of a lot of discipline, for people are not always amenable to changes in their ways. Kudos to the people of Los Banos! Since the implementation of this ordinance in Los Banos, I heard that 10 more municipalities and cities in the Philippines have passed the same ordinance.
Everything you buy in this town, whether it be groceries, school supplies, take-out food, hardware items, and what-not, the brown bag (or box) it is!... Or, you can bring your own bag. Upon learning that it was an ordinance implemented by the local government, I can't help but feel utmost respect and admiration towards the government officials and the locals as well. To be able to do that takes one hell of a lot of discipline, for people are not always amenable to changes in their ways. Kudos to the people of Los Banos! Since the implementation of this ordinance in Los Banos, I heard that 10 more municipalities and cities in the Philippines have passed the same ordinance.
I just realized that in the past, the Philippines have slowly been becoming eco-friendly. I remembered first seeing the bio-degradable plastic bag way back... say, a few years ago. I know the SM chain of stores started it, then National Bookstore, and some others followed suit. I do not believe that plastic bags can ever be bio-degradable but I've personally seen that, through time, the bags become brittle, its components slowly disintegrate, and can be easily crushed much like burnt paper. Now, I am a believer! Hahaha!
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| (photo source: liljoshua.multiply.com) |
And then there are those stores that assign a certain day or days in a week as "bring your own bag" day. SM stores, for one, has the M.O.B. (My Own Bag) Day where customers who do not bring their own bag will have to pay P2.00 (I think) for each plastic bag used for their purchases. A meager amount, I know, which is why I hope they would charge more to encourage people to bring they own bag.
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| (photo source: cosmomanilla.blogspot.com) |
A lot of other stores, on the other hand, only use paper bags as their usual packaging ~ which is good! At least they do not contribute to the tons of non-recyclable plastic bags that lay around garbage dumps for years and years. Clothing and shoe stores are usually the ones that utilize the paper bag. Top of mind would be Marks & Spencer, Zara, Girbaud, The Body Shop, Folded & Hung, Penshoppe, Bench, and a whole lot more.
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| (photo source: rackell24lumberio.blogspot.com, francesmahyeii.wordpress.com) |
I wish someday the Philippines would become a plastic bag-free nation.
We'll get there... one small step at a time.
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| (photo source: edbiado.blogspot.com) |
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