Cavite Green Coalition and EcoWaste Coalition Give Thumbs Up to Rosario, Cavite’s Tarpaulin Ban

In a joint statement, the EcoWaste Coalition and the Cavite Green Coalition gave
the Municipal Government of Rosario, Cavite early thumbs up for promulgating
Executive Order 51, Series of 2013 prohibiting plastic-based tarpaulin banners.
  

“The unchecked use of tarpaulins, especially by ‘epal’ politicians, has become
a public nuisance in our province and elsewhere, adding to the ever increasing
volume of plastic garbage that is not easily recycled,” observed Ochie
Tolentino, Coordinator, Cavite Green Coalition.

“Epal” refers to credit-grabbing, scene-stealing public officials and other
politicians who have the penchant of advertising themselves mainly through tarpaulins.

“By their bold decision, the Rosario local authorities may have set a model
environmental policy that other LGUs can emulate to prevent the avalanche of
tarpaulin waste this coming election,” she said.

The EcoWaste Coalition likewise commended Rosario’s action to arrest the
growing volume and toxicity of municipal solid waste by controlling uses of plastic
tarpaulins, which are often coated with polyethylene or polyvinyl chloride
(PVC) resin.

“Tarps, like other plastic materials, do not easily degrade, posing serious disposal
problems to LGUs who have to deal with discarded tarps,” said Sonia Mendoza who
heads the EcoWaste Coalition’s Task Force on Plastics.

“PVC tarps, in particular, contain lots of synthetic chemical additives and
plasticizers, making it extremely difficult to safely recycle or dispose of at their
end-of-life,” she said.

A recent investigation of the EcoWaste Coalition’s Task Force Chemical Safety
found cadmium, a carcinogenic substance, in the ink used for tarpaulin banners
in the range of 71 to 1,253 parts per million (ppm).