Waste management starts at household and barangay levels

CEBU, Philippines - Since household wastes share the bulk of solid waste indiscriminately thrown at dumpsites, members of households must be well-informed about proper waste handling to ensure proper implementation of the law on ecological solid waste management.

“Management of solid waste should start first at the household level,” says Cliff Abrahan, information officer of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-7.

In accordance with the provisions of Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, household members must be encouraged by barangay officials to classify solid wastes into compostable, recyclable, residual, and special wastes.

Once households learn to heart solid waste management by determining which are compostable, these wastes can then be turned into soil conditioner or organic fertilizer after undergoing biological degradation under controlled conditions. Wastes such as fruit and vegetable peelings, leftover foods, fish/fowl/animal entrails, seeds and flowers can be delivered to the composting facility of the barangay. The move would encourage revenue-generation for both households and barangays, as well as contribute to the reduction in carbon footprint, Abrahan said.

As for recyclable wastes, which refer to any waste material free from contamination and can be converted into beneficial use, these may be transformed into new products. Establishment of materials recovery facilities are encouraged at the barangay level where collection of parched papers, plastics, metal/aluminum glass could be facilitated. Afterwhich, these could be sold to junkshop owners and scrap buyers, true to the recycling campaigns that there is “cash in trash”.

Households must also be educated on managing residual wastes. These are wastes that should be disposed ecologically through a long-term disposal facility or sanitary landfill. Examples are sanitary napkins, disposable diapers, cartons with plastic lining, ceramics, candy wrappers/sachet or solid materials that cannot be recycled or composted. However, even the established “sanitary landfills” here in Cebu failed to meet criteria set as to how landfills are supposed to function. To date, most local government units have only established dumpsites which pose health risks, difficulty in control and management, and the rise in methane – a greenhouse gas responsible for global warming aside from carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and chlorofluorocarbons, this was further learned from Abrahan.

Moreover, special wastes refer to household hazardous wastes. This kind of wastes should be turned over to the MRFs which need treatment before these are finally disposed of, like paints, thinners, small batteries, spray canisters, lamps, electronic gadgets, appliances, electrical components.

The Act also provides that organizing multipurpose environmental cooperatives is the primary step to be able to adopt a sound solid waste management scheme at the barangay level, essentially, after management at the household level.

Automatically, the village chief serves as chairman of the barangay solid waste management committee.

The committee should likewise appoint core coordinators who will carry out intensified information drive and manage the operation of the Materials Recovery Facility. — Maria Eleanor E. Valeros   (FREEMAN NEWS)