Banning the use of plastic bags is not the solution to address the worsening problem on waste disposal which has been blamed for clogging and flooding during the rainy season, a press release from Congress said.

Rep. Winston Castelo (Quezon City), author of House Resolution 2337, said the government should instead enforce government programs on waste segregation, recovery and recycling.

Castelo said the National Ecology Center should implement measures to keep cities and municipalities clean and environmentally friendly in terms of waste management. He said the problem ofwaste disposal can be addressed properly if the NEC will effectively implement Republic Act 9003 or the Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.

The banning of plastic bags being implemented in several cities and municipalities in the country has created new problems and inconveniences for the people, he said and pointed out that some countries have adopted a policy of regulating the use of plastic bags instead of banning it.

Plastic bags are an all-purpose material and using it for food is safe and convenient. Banning their use is taking its toll on the industry and the public, Castelo said in the press release.

China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore and Taiwan, are also on the war path against plastic shopping bags, the press release also said.

These countries have passed local laws that ban plastic bags, on the basis that they clog sewers and drainage canals, cause street flooding, choke animals and are responsible for other forms of environmental damage, it added.*

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