MALACAÑANG on Thursday warned companies covered by the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) law to comply with their plastic recovery obligations as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has issued 155 show-cause letters to potential violators.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the DENR is auditing companies’ plastic recovery rates to determine compliance with Republic Act 11898 or the EPR Act of 2022.
The law requires covered enterprises to recover or offset an increasing portion of their plastic packaging footprint, with the target reaching 60 percent in 2026, 70 percent in 2027 and 80 percent from 2028 onward.
‘Kapag hindi nag-comply, bibigyan po sila at papatawan ng penalty [Companies that fail to comply will be fined],’ Castro said, quoting the DENR.
The warning came as garbage, particularly plastic waste, clogged Metro Manila’s waterways and pumping stations, worsening the flooding woes.
During an inspection of the Tripa de Gallina Pumping Station in Pasay City, Marcos said even fully operational pumps could lose efficiency when garbage enters the system.
Castro said the DENR had issued 155 show-cause letters to potential obligated enterprises that failed to meet their EPR obligations.
She clarified, however, that the 155 letters do not necessarily mean the companies have already been penalized.
Castro also said compliant companies should be recognized, particularly those that exceed the required recovery targets.
According to DENR data cited by Castro, audited recovery rates in 2024 reached 59.98 percent for rigid plastics and 56.33 percent for flexible plastics, exceeding the 40-percent target applicable that year. With PNA