The EPR Law takes on the Philippines' plastic problem

BARRING any last-minute hiccups, the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Act of 2022 should have lapsed into law by now, which means companies are now responsible for the plastic packaging they use to protect, transport and sell their products.

The law is meant to address our country's contribution to the global plastic pollution problem, where 40 percent of global plastic waste ends up in the ocean. In 2016 alone, 11 million metric tons (MT) of plastic entered the ocean. If nothing is done, this may reach 29 million MT by 2040.