Solid waste recycling needs gov't support, incentives

Manila, Philippines -  The recycling of plastic and other solid waste should be given government support as it is a sustainable way of keeping trash out of the waste stream and is a more productive option to an outright ban on plastic.

Speaking at the 1st Innovation Fair of the Samahan sa Pilipinas ng Industriyang Kimika last Monday, Crispin Lao, one of the private sector representatives in the National Solid Waste Management Commission, said recycling should be supported and practiced by the community.

He said proper solid waste segregation, recovery and recycling are mandated under Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000. However, 10 years after it was passed, the mechanisms and incentives of the program have yet to be properly enforced, hence the objectives of the act have remained unrealized, he added.

“Recycling of solid wastes, whether plastic or paper, is climate smart because when you take them out of the waste stream they can still be turned into new products,” said Lao, former president of the Philippine Plastic Industry Association (PPIA).

“Why leave plastic in the waste stream when there are so many applications for plastic?” he asked.

The commonly known applications for plastic trash are consumer items such as basins, buckets, tables and chairs. But plastic can also be converted into fuel, or when mixed with cement can be made into hollow blocks. Asphalt mixed with plastic is said to make road pavements stronger.

Lao said the PPIA is working with the Archdiocese of Manila, various malls and other non-profit organizations to collect garbage for recycling.