E-commerce companies urged to cut back on plastic packaging

PLASTIC WASTE generated by electronic commerce (e-commerce) transactions is beyond the capacity of local governments to deal with the additional solid waste, EcoWaste Coalition said.

The environmental advocacy said in a statement on Monday that the plastic waste from e-commerce packaging imposes an “additional and unnecessary burden” on communities, particularly after the pandemic forced consumers to order more goods online.

“Lazada and Shopee will again hold a mid-year grand sale starting June 6 which will add to more packaging and plastic waste being burned or dumped into our environment. We urge these companies to implement a genuine plastic use reduction scheme and to support their sellers and logistics providers in implementing similar measures,” EcoWaste Coalition Plastic Solutions Campaigner Coleen Salamat said.  

EcoWaste coalition said the e-commerce industry is currently valued at P1.2 trillion, equivalent to 5.5% of the economy in 2022, according to data from the Department of Trade and Industry.

“Lazada and Shopee should… support global efforts to save our climate and environment. Cutting back on their plastic waste should be a very simple step for these companies. Let us stop sacrificing our environment for profit,” Ms. Salamat said. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave