The right way

Since the start of the school year, many students of the Maguyam Elementary School have been passing the Cleanway Technology Corp. plant twice a day. With the rains, the factory’s gardens are lush with color and fragrance.

"We will plant more flowers but we will stay away from vegetables. We will also build a pool and stock it with koi," said president Elizabeth Locsin.

Sitting on a 1.3-hectare property inside the Meridien Industrial Complex II in Silang, Cavite, the company treats and disposes of toxic waste generated by industrial plants and hospitals located as far as Metro Manila.

Based on a 2001 study conducted by Japan International Cooperation Agency, the Philippines needs to dispose of 240,000 metric tons of toxic wastes a year. The waste management industry is made up of 35 companies which treat wastes and 120 companies which transport wastes. Metro Manila and the Calabar southern industrial corridor (the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, and Batangas) account for 75% of the industry’s client base. The number of industrial plants alone is estimated at 20,000 nationwide.

"This is a fairly sunrise industry. It became more pronounced during the 1990s with the mushrooming of semiconductor companies, some of which have their own water treatment facilities," said vice-president for operations Martin Gerardo Baclig.

Sunrise

Cleanway was incorporated in mid-2001 as a one-stop shop to integrate industrial, bio-medical, and hazardous waste management. It is a member of the Herma Group of Companies, whose main business is maritime petroleum transport and bunkering.

"We are the largest investor in the industry. But being big and right–by this, I mean treating and disposing of wastes the right way– doesn’t mean we don’t have problems. For many clients, it’s a leap of faith. Government has no money to monitor waste disposal. Some companies engaged in waste management just bury the waste in the countryside. As government closes down erring firms, there are more toxic wastes that must be treated and disposed of," said Locsin.

Cleanway has an approved daily capacity of 40 tons, which can be run by 40 workers per shift. For 2005, the company targets to treat 5,000 tons of wastes. To date, the company has bagged two "treater" contracts, one for eight tons a month and another for six tons a month, as it waits for a government license to transport waste.

Cost-driven

"The market is cost-driven. Our standard price is between P28 and P30 a kilo although we are already making money at P26. Competitors which have invested less than we have in terms of equipment can easily bring the price down to P22. In a recent bidding, one competitor quoted P19 and got the contract. There should be a law on equal accountability for generators and treaters of wastes. In more developed countries, if these are not properly treated or disposed of, somebody pays," said Locsin.

One of the company’s major investment is the hydroclave treatment vessel, which sterilizes, dehydrates, and shreds hospital waste. Solid wastes are treated and then reformed into hollow blocks, which are not sold to the public but are, instead, placed in a double-lined landfill to reduce contamination.

"Our technology is neither superior or novel compared to others in the market. But by educating and raising the Filipinos’ consciousness on protecting the environment, we hope to start making money by 2009. Then, we can talk about replicating the system elsewhere in the country," said Locsin.