Municipal Ordinance 2008-752 prohibits the use of plastic bags for dry goods and regulates their use for wet goods in Los Baños, Philippines. It also bans Styrofoam containers. The ordinance aims to reduce plastic waste and encourage alternative materials to help the environment. Observations over four days found an increase in plastic garbage collected, from 50% to over 65%, showing the ordinance has not been effective in reducing plastic use.

1. Municipal Ordinance 2008-752 How effective is it?

2. Municipal Ordinance 2008-752 An ordinance prohibiting the use of plastic bags on dry goods and regulating its utilization on wet goods and prohibiting the use of Styrofoam in the municipality of Los Baños.

3. Municipal Ordinance 2008-752 Furthermore, selling or offering these packaging materials is also not allowed and prescribing penalties thereof.

4. Table 1. Prohibited Acts Stated in the Section 11 of the Ordinance No. 2008-752 WET GOODS Sell plastic bags to customers as SECONDARY packaging materials. Provide plastic bags to customers as SECONDARY packing materials. DRY GOODS Sell plastic bags to customers as PRIMARY packaging materials. Provide plastic bags to customers as PRIMARY packing materials. FOODS AND OTHER PRODUCTS Sell Styrofoam as containers. Provide Styrofoam as containers. OTHERS Dispose plastic waste

5. Objectives of Municipal Order 2008-752 To eliminate the use of plastic bags and Styrofoam To optimize the solutions in response to climate change and environmental threats

6. Objectives of Municipal Order 2008-752 To encourage individuals to use alternative materials, thereby reducing plastic wastes To increase people’s welfare and development

7. How effective is it?

9. Observation Days Day 1: June 24, 2011 8 out of 16 garbage are plastics. 50% are plastics.

10. Observation Days Day 2: June 27, 2011 37 out of 64 garbage are plastics. 57.8% are plastics

11. Observation Days Day 3: June 28, 2011 15 out of 23 garbage are plastics. 65.22% are plastics.

12. Observation Days Day 4: June 28,2011 17 out of 26 garbage are plastics. 65.38%

13. Percentage of plastics usage for four days.

14. Conclusion Based on the data we gathered, we have observed that there was a continuous increase in plastic usage. Thus, we can say that Municipal Ordinance 2008-752 is not effective .