The Philippines is stepping up enforcement of its plastic packaging rules, ordering 155 companies to explain their alleged failure to meet recycling and recovery obligations under the country’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) issued show-cause orders to the companies as authorities move from implementing EPR requirements to actively enforcing compliance.
Under the Philippine EPR framework, large companies are required to recover an increasing proportion of the plastic packaging they place on the market. The recovery target was 50% for 2025, increasing to 60% in 2026 and eventually reaching 80%.
Companies found to be in violation can face significant financial penalties, with fines increasing for repeat offences.
The enforcement action demonstrates the Philippines’ increasingly stringent approach to plastic waste and places additional pressure on producers to demonstrate measurable recovery and recycling results rather than simply make voluntary sustainability commitments.
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155 firms ordered to explain failure to recover, recycle plastics