Inquirer Southern Luzon
Villages take lead in waste segregation
By Mary Ann Ayos
Southern Luzon Bureau
First Posted 03:53:00 11/20/2008
Filed Under: Regional authorities, Waste
GENERAL TRIAS, Cavite – One small step for waste segregation, one big leap for the environment – and a meaningful way of life for most residents of General Trias town in Cavite.
This might have prodded community leaders to set up locally designed repositories of trash in 10 villages as part of a year-long search for the “cleanest” and “greenest” locality.
“Our main purpose is just to start up, to inculcate the value of segregation and eventually become a way of life. That even without (a) contest, even without the sponsor, the project must proceed. After all, the money goes to the people, to the environment,” Renato Escurel, chief of the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (Menro), said.
Mini-materials recovery facilities (MRFs) were set up in Bagumbayan, Gov. Ferrer Avenue, Sampalucan, Dulong Bayan, San Gabriel, Vibora, Arnaldo, Prinza, 1896 and Corregidor in April. Although they are not covered by the contest, Bacau Uno and Santa Clara have their own facilities donated by private companies.
The town has 33 villages.
Through the MRFs designed by Romeo Grepo of the municipal engineering department to sort nonbiodegradable waste (recyclables), the 10 participating villages are competing in proper waste management and solid waste reduction.
The MRFs are located in strategic areas accessible to households, said Benigno Fernando, an environmental management specialist.
Each unit, costing about P10,000 and made from wood and chicken wire, has four pitters – for plastic materials, bottles, metals and cans. “It’s just a mini, improvised MRF. Once crammed, recyclables must be packed in sacks for temporary storage. It’s also locked up to keep off thieves,” Escurel said.
“Our aim is to have the cleanest barangay with most number of recyclables by December,” Fernando said.
The campaign is funded by Intel Technology Philippines, in partnership with Menro.
“There will be a point system to determine the winning village or barangay. Every kilogram of recyclables sold is equivalent to one point. The village with the most number of points wins a computer package complete with accessories,” Crisanta Quinto, Intel environment officer and one of the volunteers, told the Inquirer (parent company of INQUIRER.net) in a phone interview.
After the last hauling on Oct. 25, Bagumbayan took first place, followed by San Gabriel and Arnaldo. Awarding of prizes is slated for Dec. 4, Fernando said.
Monthly hauling
Menro and Intel representatives regularly supervise the monthly hauling of MRF contents every last Saturday of the month.
RN3K, a wholesaler company and buyer of scrap materials, sorts all types of recyclables – plastic and glass bottles, tin cans, paper, metals, aluminum and copper products, plastic materials, galvanized iron sheets, cardboards and mixed waste.
These are weighed in kilograms and sold to junk shops, Fernando said. “We hire haulers to pick up the recyclables while we also monitor the current price in the market.”
Representatives of Intel and Menro witness the weighing and hauling for contest purposes, Escurel said.
However, the municipality does not have a composting facility for biodegradables. Under Republic Act No. 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, an MRF should include a solid waste transfer station or sorting station, drop-off center, a composting facility and a recycling facility.
“What we like most about the project is that it targets the grassroots level. Instantly putting up big MRFs might just become a white elephant,” Escurel said.
Improved garbage collection
With the facilities already in place, garbage collection has greatly improved and villagers have started to do their share.
“So far, there is 90 percent degree of compliance. The remaining 10 percent is attributed to one village (Dulong Bayan) which does not participate,” Escurel lamented.
“We cannot force them (barangays) to comply, it’s for their own benefit anyway. This is income-generating for them,” Fernando said.
In Bagumbayan, however, it’s more of a collective effort among residents, according to Councilor Edwin Satsatin. A church member manages the money earned from selling scraps and used to buy pots for composting that are eventually seeded with flowering plants.
“Composting should really start at home while the cash generated from recycling should be used in buying pots to encourage segregation at source. Nonbiodegradables should be brought to the MRF and the biodegradables left at home for composting,” Escurel stressed.
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