Ban of Plastic Bags in Pasay City: an Assessment

CHAPTER 1 THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND Introduction Since the purpose of the study is the problem concerning plastic banning, the researchers focused on the haphazard posed by the issue. Plastic bags are one of the plastic products produced in greater numbers, and one of the products most commonly dispersed in the environment. Unlike any other waste products, plastics have a slow rate of decomposition and accounts for various mishaps of flooding e.i. Plastic bags have been introduced in 1970’s (Williamson, 2003) and gained an increasing popularity amongst consumers and retailers. They are available in huge numbers and varieties across the world. It is estimated that around 500 billion plastic bags are used every year worldwide (Spokas, 2007; Geographical, 2005). This widespread utilization is attributed to their cheapness and convenience to use. The vast majority of these bags are discarded as wastes usually after a single use. It is also believed that after their entry into environment, plastic. At present time, reports state that about 6,000 tons is either hauled to dump sites, dumped illegally on private land, in rivers, creek, Manila Bay or openly burned. Only 720 tons (About 10.7%) of the 6,700 tons is recycled or composed. Given this average, 2.4 million tons of garbage will be generated every year. This is equivalent to over 230 million cubic meters of waste, an amount that equates to a knee-deep layer of waste over the entire metropolis (over 630 square meters). Collection of this waste will require a line of garbage trucks going three times around the earth, and over halfway to the moon. The statistic shows a dramatic 75.55% of the total volumes of trash collected are plastics, according to Global Alliance for incinerator Alterative (GAIA), Greenpeace, Mother Earth Foundation and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA). This fact showed the current issue concerning the prohibition of plastic(s). Wherein the estimated