Baguio City, Benguet towns offered recycling system for plastics, metals, tires

BAGUIO CITY — A recycling system developed in Mexico that could process plastic waste, discarded metals and even tires could serve an economic alliance involving Baguio and the neighboring Benguet towns of La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan, Tuba and Tublay (BLISTT).

During an executive legislative meeting on Monday (Jan. 6), the Recycle Refuse International Ltd. (RCR) had offered to collect all sorts of Baguio garbage, which would be processed separately to develop synthetic gas, produce plastic pellets for export and extract minerals from old gadgets.

Requiring up to seven hectares for its plants, RCR may instead consider setting up at the mining town of Itogon, to process the rubbish generated by six local governments, said Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong, who is a member of the BLISST Council of Mayors.

A mining firm operating in Itogon originally offered a portion of its open pit mine as the site for a series of waste technology plants to be put up for Baguio.

But the summer capital elected to proceed with a waste-to-energy project to be financed by the Japanese government.

If negotiations with Japan prove successful, the project which was pitched last year by Japanese firm Toyo Energy Solutions Co. Ltd. would convert Baguio’s biodegradable waste into electricity and methane gas.

About 40 percent (160 tons) of the city’s 400-ton daily rubbish is biodegradable, most of which are generated at the public market, Magalong said.

Should the plant require more fuel, Baguio plans to take in organic waste generated by the rest of BLISTT, he said.

But RCR could complement the Toyo project by hauling and processing BLISTT’s recycleable and residual waste, the mayor said.

The RCR proposal involves sending out a fleet of trucks to collect various types of wastes from households and business centers.

Magalong offered to introduce the company to the Itogon government.

Baguio and the Benguet towns formed BLISTT for social and economic cooperation, intending to collaborate on solutions for cross border problems like garbage and traffic.

It was introduced shortly after the 1990 Luzon earthquake devastated Baguio.

Backed by urban reform experts, the original BLIST concept urged the government to channel investments meant for Baguio towards its vegetable producing neighbors in order to decongest the summer capital.

Edited by TSB