A local waste and pollution watchdog expressed support behind a proposed measure that will ban the use of plastic in election campaigns. The EcoWaste Coalition issued last Sunday a statement of support behind Senate Bill 1762 filed by Senator Raffy T. Tulfo. SB 1762 seeks to amend Republic Act 9006…
A local waste and pollution watchdog expressed support behind a proposed measure that will ban the use of plastic in election campaigns.
As Tulfo’s proposed measure has not yet been enacted into law, the group is appealing to all BSKE candidates to voluntarily moderate their use of tarpaulins to woo voters, noting that most tarpaulins are made of polyvinyl chloride plastic. The latter, according to the group, is produced using carcinogenic substances like vinyl chloride and cadmium.
In recommending a prohibition on plastic posters, Tulfo noted the excessive use of tarpaulins during the campaign season, which “mostly end up in landfills and sometimes in bodies of water, causing pollution and flood,” adding “they do not degrade quickly and may take 1,000 years to decompose.” Laboratory tests commissioned by the group found 607 to 775 parts per million of cadmium on the multicolored coatings and 384 to 546 ppm on the white sheet of six presidential campaign tarpaulins that were analyzed. Under the European Union’s “Cadmium Directive,” the total amount of cadmium on plastic, paint and polymer stabilizers should not exceed 100 ppm whatever their use or intended final purpose.