QC promotes garbage recycling, collection

The Quezon City government, in observance of the garbage recycling month, will host on Friday a daylong activity involving the collection and buying of recyclable materials to promote garbage recycling, waste segregation and materials recovery collections at the Quezon City Memorial Circle.

The "Recycle and Collection Event," a joint project of the city government, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), ABS-CBN, Lopez Group of Companies and the Philippine Information Agency will be conducted from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. urged city residents to participate in the activity, which underscores the importance of recycling in addressing the garbage problem confronting the city.

The city environment protection and waste management bureau, headed by Fredireka Rentoy, said the city generates at least 1,600 tons of solid waste, of which 39 percent are considered recyclable.

Recyclable materials that are redeemable for cash are newsprint, magazines, white paper sheets, old corrugated cartons, plastic bottles, aluminum cans, lead acid batteries, used printer inks and toners, motor oil and junk electronics.

Recyclable newsprint goes for P6.50 per kilo while magazines go for P2 per kilo.

According to the DENR, paper-recycling reduces energy consumption and conserves trees while aluminum recycling reduces air and water pollution. Car battery recycling prevents chemical pollution while used motor recycling lowers the importation of oil by as much 75 percent.

The month long garbage recycling activity is expected to generate the following environmental benefits: 1,650 seven year old trees saved, 192,792 kilos of lead recovered, 36,073 liters of sulfuric acid treated, 8,500 kilos of toxic waste treated, 1,000 kilos of aluminum recycled and 2,600 kilos of plastic bottles of mineral water recycled.

Among the private firms participating in the event are the Clean Leaf Industrial Sales, HMR Envirocycle Phil., Phil Recycler Inc., Polytrader Plastic Products, SMC PET Recycling Project, SMC Corp., Trust International and YGARC Trading Corp.