LONG one of the world's top sources of ocean plastic, the Philippines is hoping new legislation requiring big companies to pay for waste solutions will help clean up its act.Last year, its 'Extended Producer Responsibility' statute came into force — the first in Southeast Asia to impose penalties on companies over plastic waste.
PCX Solutions, one of the country's biggest players, offers local credits priced around $100 for collection and co-processing of mixed plastics to over $500 for collection and recycling of ocean-bound PET plastic.The model is intended to channel money into the underfunded waste collection sector and encourage the collection of plastic that is commercially unviable for recycling.'It's manna from heaven,' former streetsweeper Marita Blanco told AFP.