MANILA, Jan. 29, 2013—Months before this year’s mid-term elections, the efforts of a local government unit in Cavite province to ban the use of tarpaulin for campaigning drew commendation from environmental groups.
Environmental watchdog EcoWaste Coalition together with the Cavite Green Coalition welcomed the action and gave the Municipal Government of Rosario in Cavite thumbs up for promulgating Executive Order 51, Series of 2013 prohibiting plastic-based tarpaulin banners in the municipality.
Cavite Green Coalition coordinator Ochie Tolentino said the unchecked use of tarpaulins, especially by politicians has become a public nuisance in their province and elsewhere, adding to the increasing volume of plastic garbage that is not easily recycled.
“By their bold decision, the Rosario local authorities may have set a model environmental policy that other LGUs can emulate to prevent the avalanche of tarpaulin waste this coming election,” Tolentino added.
Meanwhile, Sonia Mendoza, head of the group’s Coalition’s Task Force on Plastics said that tarps like other plastic materials, do not easily degrade, posing serious disposal problems to LGUs who have to deal with discarded tarps.
“It contains lots of synthetic chemical additives and plasticizers, making it extremely difficult to safely recycle or dispose of at their end-of-life,” Mendoza said.
The two eco groups are encouraging other LGUs to follow the action set by the Municipality of Rosario in Cavite. (Jandel Posion/CBCPNews)
