Oceana welcomes the approval of the law decree to regulate the consumption of single-use plastics in Peru, prepared by the Commission of Andean, Amazonian and Afro-Peruvian Peoples, Environment and Ecology of Congress, with the contributions of the Ministry of the Environment and organizations of civil society.
The standard is not only restricted to plastic bags, but also to disposable plastics that have a short shelf life, such as technopor containers, sorbets, plastic cutlery, among other containers.
There are a series of observations that will be incorporated into the opinion approved by the Andean Peoples Commission for discussion in the plenary session of Congress. At the same time, the Economic Commission has a forecast that should be discussed at its next session.
“This could include economic incentives for changing consumption habits, for example, through a tax. The income generated could be used for environmental education and research programs to develop alternatives to plastic, ”says Carmen Heck, Policy Director of Oceana Peru.
Oceana, which actively participates in the workshops and provides technical contributions to the process; recommends consensus between both commissions before reaching the plenary session of Congress.
Meanwhile, various commercial companies, municipalities, universities, among other institutions, have already committed to suspend the delivery of technopor bags, sorbets and containers to their clients.
These measures help reduce the consumption of disposable plastics, but it is also necessary for commercial establishments to adopt measures for the management of their plastic waste. “The solution is not just to replace one product with another, part of the solution is reduction and reuse,” adds Heck.
The manufacture of plastics must also have specific goals of reducing the quantity of plastics in the production of articles and include certain percentages of recycled material. The opinion approved today establishes 20% of recycled material for PET bottles, but it is expected that this type of measure can be extended to other products in the medium term.
Oceana is the largest international advocacy organization dedicated solely to ocean conservation. Oceana is rebuilding abundant and biodiverse oceans by winning science-based policies in countries that control one-third of the world’s wild fish catch. With more than 225 victories that stop overfishing, habitat destruction, pollution, and the killing of threatened species like turtles and sharks, Oceana’s campaigns are delivering results. A restored ocean means that 1 billion people can enjoy a healthy seafood meal, every day, forever. Together, we can save the oceans and help feed the world. Visit www.oceana.org to learn more.