Say No to Plastics: The Leyte Home Depot campaign

According to Leyte Home Depot–Tacloban owner Rovert Yu, their campaign started in 2009.LONG before it was mandated among big malls and markets in Manila and other areas of the country, a large hardware and home furnishing store in Tacloban City, the Leyte Home Depot, has already started its own campaign against the use of plastic bags among its customers and shoppers.

“We started this initiative after reading how plastics affect our environment,” Yu said.

Studies cite that among others, the bad effects of plastics to the environment include depletion of natural resources, fatal consumption by animals, and high costs of cleanup due to litter left by plastics.

Plastic bags, plastic bottles, Styrofoam and other plastic-made containers, when not properly disposed, can cause pollution, clogging of waterways and toxic fumes when burned.

“We still don’t have any laws or rules on the total ban of plastics then, so we thought it was a good time to start within our own establishment,” Yu said.

As part of their campaign against the use of plastic, Leyte Home Depot use old newspapers and bond papers made into paper bags to wrap and carry various items at their stores.

This recycling system has earned employment among wives and partners of Home Depot employees who have been tasked to make bags out of the old newspapers and bond papers.

“Not only have we helped the environment but we have created additional income for other people as well,” Yu said.

Aside from old newspapers, wide plastic wraps used to cover crates and crates of plywood and ply boards were also recycled.

These cover plastics were recycled into smaller bags to carry retail packs of smalls items such as nails.

This way, huge amount of plastics were prevented from being immediately discarded into garbage, thus reducing the amount of waste plastics generated by the store.

Aside from recycling their own collection of newspapers, the management has also started buying other old stocks from other offices to be made into paper bags. By far, Leyte Home Depot’s use of plastics has lessened from 50 to 60 percent since it started its campaign in 2009.

The establishment has also been conscious of its carbon footprint by constructing a well-ventilated building that does not need the comforts of an air-conditioning system.

“Our building itself is not air-conditioned. It is designed in such a way that air can circulate well. We also have a wide parking area with landscaping to provide a convenient place for our customers,” Yu said.

An over-the-counter survey made by Leyte Home Depot among its customers showed its tremendous appreciation and support for its “No to Plastic” campaign. Ninety percent of its customers said the initiative is laudable. (Leyte Samar Daily Express)

Anti-plastic ordinance up for 2nd reading

PROVINCIAL Board Member Roque Tiu said that they are now ready for the second reading of the anti-plastic ordinance after the conduct of a public hearing.

Tiu, the proponent and the main author of the ordinance, said the second reading will involve deliberation of every provisions of the ordinance by members of the board.

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“We will study each provision if there are provisions that are objectionable and if there are provisions that need to be improved,” Tiu explained.



Once said proposed ordinance is passed on the second reading, Tiu said that it will immediately be referred for the third and final reading.

Tiu added that with long provisions of said proposed ordinance they are expecting for it to be approved by the members of the Provincial Board by the second quarter of this year.

“This is a sensitive ordinance that is why we need to carefully study this especially that it is to be implemented in the municipal level,” he explained, adding that the penalties included in the ordinance will go directly to the coffers of each municipality and not the Provincial Government.

Tiu added that during the public hearing the ordinance has received support from various sectors, especially from the business and national line agencies.

“They were happy that the Provincial Government through the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (Provincial Board) has this kind of move that will regulate the usage of plastic bags and of banning it in the near future,” he added.

During the public hearing, the owner of a big business establishment in Tacloban City that provides materials for home furnishing was also present and showed their alternative packaging materials to the members of the Provincial Board and to those who were at the plenary hall.

Said alternative packaging uses old newspapers as substitute to plastic bags and were made by the families of their employees that become an additional income for their employees.

Aside from the presentation made by the home furnishing establishment, there were also suggestion made by their resource speaker that are considered by the author to be included in the ordinance.

Although there are apprehension from the market sector particularly in the implementation phase of the proposed ordinance, Tiu said that the vendors also expressed support to it as it is also advantageous to them.

Tiu added that the representatives of the Environmental Management Bureau also lauded the proposed measure as it supports their program to reduce and stop the usage of non-biodegradable materials as it will help to minimize the effect on climate change.

The representative from the Department of Trade and Industry-Eastern Visayas also expressed support to the measure as it will complement the agency’s program in promoting the production of native baskets, bags and “bayong” that will provide additional income to its producers. (Leyte Samar Daily Express)