- Measure is aimed at establishments that sell food
- Law establishes its entry into force progressively within a period of three years
On average, at least eight million tons of plastic enter the oceans every year, while 75% of the waste found in beach cleaning corresponds to products of this material.
The environmental impact is severe and our country is no stranger to it. According to estimates from the plastics industry itself, Chile consumes approximately one million tons of this material per year. Given these alarming figures, Senators Guido Girardi (PPD), Carolina Goic (DC), Felipe Kast (Evopoli), Juan Ignacio Latorre (RD) and Rabindranath Quinteros (PS) presented a bill based on a joint work carried out with the organizations Oceana and Plastic Oceans Chile . The initiative also has the support of the deputies Catalina Pérez (RD), Luis Rocafull (PS) and Sebastián Torrealba (RN).
“The proposal we present seeks to limit the generation of disposable products and regulate plastics, especially those that are small and that we discard after a few minutes of use,” explained Javiera Calisto, Director of the Oceana Pollution Campaign. “We have done exhaustive work, developing a baseline on the situation of plastics in Chile, analyzing the laws of different countries that have regulated single-use plastics. This information was crucial for the bill that is entered today and that was worked with different sectors and entities,” he added.
From Plastic Oceans Chile, they pointed out that disposable plastics reach the ocean in high quantities, “those that fragment into small pieces that bring associated pollutants, directly affecting the marine fauna that consumes them and consequently the human being that feeds on these too,” said Camila Ahrendt, Scientific Director of the organization. “Considering that the annual production of 348 million tons of plastic will triple by 2050, this law is an invitation to rethink our habits, reduce our footprint and innovate in current consumption models, which allow for sustainable development and in harmony with our environment, “he added.
How the law would operate
“The project presented seeks to limit the use of low-life or single-use plastics that are quickly garbage and their utility is not economically justified,” said Senator Guido Girardi, President of the Senate Environment Committee. “It cannot be that through ignorance or unconsciousness we are damaging the planet, the seas and ourselves. We find it absurd, having alternatives for other forms of packaging. All industries that use non-degradable plastics will have to replace them with others that are more harmonious with life and the environment, “said Girardi.
For his part, the senator of Evopoli Felipe Kast, who is also part of the group of senators who presented the project, said that “it takes care of a contingent, urgent problem and also presents itself as an opportunity for our entrepreneurs and our market increasingly focus on sustainability and the transition to a circular economy.” Kast added that “the planet suffers from plastic; the damage – unfortunately already produced – is so incalculable that responsible studies and the intelligent elaboration of laws and public policies is something to which our country must urgently join”.
We must not forget that another of the negative consequences of plastics is the exploitation and production of oil, its main raw material, and which has contributed to increasing levels of greenhouse gases, directly affecting climate change.
The proposed rule is aimed at establishments that sell food such as restaurants, cafes, kitchens and other places that serve prepared or drinkable food, which must offer reusable products such as china, wood, glass or the like. In the case of businesses that sell takeaways, they must deliver non-plastic disposables such as aluminum, paper, cardboard, bamboo or certified disposable plastics.
Regulated products include glasses, cups, bowls, cutlery, mixers, light bulbs, plates, containers or trays of prepared food and its accessory containers, lids, bottles equal to or less than 500 cc, which will be progressively prohibited.
Validity of the law
The bill differentiates the entry into force between large establishments and micro, small and medium-sized companies. Regarding the former, it establishes that the ban on expanded polystyrene products, popularly known as feathervit, will take effect within six months, while the obligation to deliver products of reusable materials to consumers will begin in the first year, being prohibited the delivery of disposable when the consumption is made inside the establishments. In the second year, for consumption outside the establishments, disposables of materials other than plastic or certified plastics must be delivered.
In the case of micro, small and medium-sized companies, the terms are slightly longer. The feather will be banned in one year; the obligation to deliver reusable products applies to the second year, while the prohibition to deliver disposable products of materials other than plastic or of plastics that are not certified will come into force in three years.
According to the United Nations, by 2050 there will be more plastics than fish in the oceans, while studies estimate that by that same year, 99% of seabirds will have ingested residues of this material.
Statements by the senators and deputies:
Senator Carolina Goic: “We need to take measures today to limit the generation of single-use plastics that are polluting our oceans. That implies legislative initiatives like the ones we have presented today, but which must go hand in hand with cultural changes that also it is necessary to promote, especially among the new generations “.
Senator Rabindranath Quinteros: “The protection of marine ecosystems must be a priority and in my role as Chairman of the Committee on Fisheries, I will continue to support actions that conserve the ocean for future generations. This must be a commitment of everyone.”
Deputy Catalina Pérez : “In Chile we discuss a lot about recycling but we do not give importance to the reduction and reuse of products. COP25 is a great opportunity to return to the debate on how we avoid the arrival of plastics in the sea and to think more radical ways, proposing measures prior to recycling. The bill that we are presenting today allows us to eradicate single-use plastics from the market, such as light bulbs, plastic cups, pen trays, promoting the creation of products that are effectively more sustainable and creating prosperous environments for the innovation of new materials and products. With this, spaces such as the national congress, for example, would have to change their practices. “
Deputy Luis Rocafull: “I support this bill with great enthusiasm, even though it may have strong resistance from the people because it signifies a major cultural change. However, we are required to legislate for a better world for future generations. We must become aware of the damage that we do to our planet at every moment. Every time we use a plastic container or similar, we are polluting, is this what we want to change, how to do it? Very simple, in the same way that today we are going to buy from the supermarket with a bag of our own, we use renewable or biodegradable packaging when we buy a coffee, a lunch or any other similar food. This project aims at that, that restaurants, Cafeterias and all the stalls that use plastic sell them in recyclable containers or allow us to carry our own containers. We hope that this will be processed quickly in the national Congress because it is a cross-cutting issue that unites us all and as legislators we have an inescapable responsibility for the care of our sea.”
Deputy Sebastián Torrealba: “We want to join this initiative that promotes the idea of legislating on the contamination of plastics in Chile, we also join because there is a lot of scientific evidence that corroborates that the contamination by plastics reached a maximum not tolerable by citizens Therefore, we are going to join this call to legislate seriously, concretely regarding the future that plastics will have in our country. Today we have to understand that plastic is probably one of the largest pollutants in the oceans of our country and therefore we have to generate public policies that are focused on eliminating plastics in the daily life of Chileans.”
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.