In 2022, the government enacted the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Act which widens the environmental accountability of enterprises for the life cycle of goods they produce by mandating large enterprises to retrieve up to 80% of the plastic waste. This campaign on reducing plastic waste in the terrestrial and marine environment necessitates a strong commitment for cooperation between the public and private sectors.

As part of the implementation of the said law, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) released the auditing guidelines in preparation for the required submission of the EPR Law Compliance Audit Report (ECAR) on 30 June 2024. Relatedly, the DENR has also officially launched the EPR online registry to facilitate a smoother and easier transaction for the submission of requirements by digitising the process.

Additionally, the government is also considering other measures to complement the said law including the enactment of an EPR for other products aside from plastics (i.e. glass, paper, etc.), a ban and/or imposing an excise tax on single use plastics.

As a staunch partner of the government in achieving the country's net zero targets, the ECCP, in partnership with its Environment and Water Committee and its Competency Hub, is organising an information session to tackle some of the ongoing government initiatives to combat plastic waste. This session aims to achieve the following:

• Provide an overview of the current status of the EPR law implementation and updates on the other initiatives of the government to combat waste pollution;
• Ensure clear understanding of the auditing guidelines and how to navigate the online registry; and
• Provide a platform for the private sector and other stakeholders to address their concerns on the technical specificities of the EPR law.