First automated MRF inaugurated

CEBU, Philippines — Prime Waste Solutions-Cebu has inaugurated the country’s first automated Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) yesterday.

The company, which is part of the Razon Group’s Prime Infra Company, had acquired the former ARN Central Waste Management Incorporated landfill in Barangay Binaliw, Cebu City over a year ago.

Although it was supposed to be a dam to answer the water crisis in the city that was first discussed by Mayor Michael Rama and business tycoon Enrique Razon, Prime Infra established the Prime Integrated Solutions Inc. (PWS) “as a response to the increasing demand for waste management solutions in fast-developing cities in the country” including Cebu City.

True to their words, PWS has brought in a quality of its operations that can be at par with world-class MRFs.

A worker said, from a manual way of segregating the garbage under the heat of the sun to a more comfortable and faster way of getting their job done.

PWS promises an “optimized waste handling” from the disposal of different waste, from municipal, hazardous, industrial and agricultural waste to recycling which in the process also includes segregation, treatment and processing.

Aside from that, they are looking at the production of sustainable/renewable fuels through WasteFuel Philippines.

Renewable fuels of which included refuse derived fuel, pyro oil, and compressed biogas that is expected to pave the way for the production of sustainable marine fuel as well in the future.

Rama looks forward to the realization of waste-to-energy in the area, saying he really has biases when it comes to renewable energy, while objecting to open landfills.

The mayor who was also with Councilor Donaldo Hontiveros yesterday recalled objecting to the Binaliw landfill way back, but fully trusts the Razon group to deliver the goods well.

Along with this, the mayor also looks forward to a better living condition of the community surrounding it with the state-of-the art facility and no longer complain of foul odor once everything will be up and running.

Another salient feature added by PWS is the use of radio frequency identification (RFID) on trucks for transparency. —  (FREEMAN)