Elections, an environmental group promoting Zero Waste pleaded with the
voting public to keep schools and other polling places garbage-free.
“We appeal to all voters to avoid littering as they cast their votes
tomorrow,” said Tin Vergara, Zero Waste Campaigner, EcoWaste Coalition.
truly clean democracy that our nation can be proud of,” she urged voters.
One of the most common electoral and environmental offenses in
previous elections is the shameless and unlawful distribution of sample
ballots and other political propaganda materials during the Election
Day.
To avoid a repeat of such offense, the EcoWaste Coalition urged voters
to come to the polling precincts equipped with their own “kodiko” or
list of bets to vote for, and refuse sample ballots that are illegally
handed out to voters beyond the official campaign period.
vendors to provide sufficient bins for proper waste management as the
vicinity of polling places are often littered with discarded food
containers, snack and candy wrappers, plastic and paper bags, as well as
cigarette butts.
Littering is a clear violation of Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological
Solid Waste Management Act, which among others, prohibits throwing or
dumping of waste matters in public places such as streets, sidewalks,
parks and waterways. Violators upon conviction shall be fined between P300
to P1,000 or render community service from 1 to 15 days or both.
Meanwhile, in anticipation of the barrage of post-election garbage, the
EcoWaste Coalition appeals to all candidates and their supporters to
immediately remove and recycle their campaign materials after voting
day.
EcoWaste Coalition National Coordinator Aileen Lucero reminded all
barangay candidates, regardless of their polling performance, to “remove
your campaign posters and banners without delay and recycle those that can
still be safely used.”
“We ask the Commission on Elections to oblige all barangay candidates to
comply with their civic duty to conduct post-election clean-up, as both
winners and losers tend to forget to take down their political
advertisements,” Lucero added.
The group seeks the cooperation of the public in keeping all sorts of
political discards that the candidates utilized throughout their
campaign
out of dump sites and landfills, at the same time warning people against
recycling and burning campaign materials that may possibly contain
toxic
chemicals. The group reiterated that open burning and open dumping
violate
R.A. 9003 and pose serious health threats to workers and residents.
In particular, the EcoWaste Coalition cautioned the public against
recycling campaign materials made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) such as
tarpaulins for food packaging or for other uses involving young children
as their chemical ingredients such as cadmium, lead and phthalates may
leach and cause adverse health effects.
Furthermore, burning chlorinated campaign materials such as PVC tarpaulins
is dangerous as this will cause the release of hazardous by-products,
including dioxins, the most toxic of all man-made chemicals.