Cebu retailers push for end to plastic bags

In the wake of the devastating typhoons that hit Luzon, retailers in Cebu are pushing a green initiative that could lead to the elimination of plastic packaging from their stores in the next few months.

Melanie Ng, president of the local chapter of the Philippine Retailers Association (PRA), said there has been a lot of interest among small and large retailers in Cebu to discard plastic to thwart massive floodings, which wreaked Metro Manila, to happen in Cebu.

Plastic bags and packaging have been blamed by local government cleaners even in Cebu for clogging waterways that contributed to floods, also a perennial problem even in coastal city like Cebu. Cebu City alone produces more than 400 tons of garbage, mostly plastic. More…