The Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Region 10 Regional Executive Director (RED) Henry A. Adornado announced Monday (October 2) that the Department will hold a one-day Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) dubbed as “Rethinking Plastics: EPR Paving the Way Towards Circularity” roundtable discussion tentatively scheduled on October 6 in Cagayan de Oro City.
RED Adornado said, the event was appreciated after its two successful runs in Manila and Cebu that were attended by over 300 participants. The event is also part of the department’s efforts to influence and encourage more obliged enterprises (OEs) to register their EPR programs with the DENR-Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) to comply with the EPR Act of 2022. The activity will be held at the Mallberry Suites Business Hotel.
EPR Act of 2022 required obliged enterprises (OEs) to recover and divert 20% of their plastic footprint by the year. OEs are large enterprises with total assets of over PHP100-million and produce, manufacture, import, or put their brand label on plastics. Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) are not required, but highly encouraged, to also register their EPR programs.
According to DENR Undersecretary for Policy, Planning and International Affairs Jonas R. Leones, “Compliance and support among the private sector, especially OEs, is crucial to the effective implementation of the EPR Law. This is why the DENR has been holding webinars and workshops with various industry associations to spread awareness about the EPR law and its provisions, as well as the EPR registration process to help companies understand what EPR is and how they might undertake an EPR program.”
During the proper forum, participants will be provided guidance on the process of registration as well as the opportunities available for them to work together with the government to help in ensuring the successful implementation of the EPR Law.
Collective reports from the prior EPR roundtable discussion will be shared during the program, including the key takeaways and recommendations taken from the panel and roundtable discussions.
DENR Undersecretary for Finance, Information Systems and Climate Change Annaliza Rebuelta-Teh; DENR Undersecretary Jonas R. Leones, CESO I; Mr. Jose Uy III, Senior Vice President and Head of Corporate Affairs, Nestlé Philippines; and Dr. Johannes Paul, Project Manager, GIZ-BIB Office will lead the panel discussion focusing on the value of EPR on the country’s journey toward circularity.
To assist OEs, the DENR in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will set up EPR registry clinic after the program for creating and submitting their respective EPR programs.
Interested participants can register to join at https://www.eco-business.com/. You can also contact the DENR-EMB EPR Team through the EPR Hotline: +632 8539-4378, loc 186 and 135 or email [email protected].
Since the DENR’s EPR campaign launch in August, there has been an increase in EPR submissions from 667 to 709 as of mid-September. DENR and other government partners in EPR implementation, business groups, and civil society organizations continue to proactively campaign for EPR support, recognizing that cleaning up plastic waste from the environment not only restores the planet but protects human health, livelihoods and food security.
The EPR education and registration drive organized by the DENR and Nestlé Philippines is supported by UNDP, GIZ, the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP), and Eco-Business. RSCIG No. 09-270-2023
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