STOP USING STRAW. Iloilo city government develops information and education materials for the 'Throw your Straw' campaign in partnership with the Department of Environment and Natural Reources Office (DENR). (Photo by Perla Lena)
ILOILO CITY -- The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is partnering with the city government here for its “Throw your Straw” campaign to be launched next month.
“This is being authored by the DENR,” said Engr. Noel Hechanova, head of the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO).
The campaign seeks to raise public awareness on the danger of plastic straw to the environment and promote the use of alternative types of drinking straw.
Hechanova said Iloilo City has an ordinance banning the use of non-biodegradable plastic but the straw was not included. The ordinance, he said, was only against packaging.
However, when you collect the straws, they might reach up to tons. This has huge impact in terms of garbage, clogging up of drainage and they also end up in the landfill, he said.
“We promote the use of glass, why use straw. If they have personal drinking straw, that is supposed to be promoted,” Hechanova said.
Among those that are being eyed as alternative are bamboo straw, paper straw, glass straw, metal straw and or no straw at all.
The campaign targets restaurant goers and restaurant owners, he added.
“We have so much to learn before enacting the law,” he said as the city’s Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP/city council) is planning to enact an ordinance that regulates the use of plastic straw and stirrers.
The grand launching is proposed to be held at the Casa Real in this city next month. (PNA)
