Organic fertilizer from river mud, 'green charcoal' from water lilies

The Philippines is eyeing a revolutionary contribution to the world by turning filthy mud and water lilies into valuable resources that might just address problems on flooding and garbage. 

This, as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) signed a 10-year memorandum of agreement (MOA) with a Filipino inventor who discovered that the grimy mud of Pasig River and Laguna Lake, as well as the massive population of water lilies that clog these waterways, can be converted into organic fertilizer and alternative fuel.

Gonzalo Catan Jr., executive vice president of Mapecon Green Charcoal Philippines Inc., said they have proven during earlier research and development efforts that mud taken from Pasig River and Laguna Lake is organic and can be used as component of a mixture to create vermicast, an organic fertilizer.

The latest MOA signed among DENR, LLDA, Mapecon, and the National Committee on Urban Pest Control (NCUPC) was a “supplemental agreement” to an earlier MOA dated July 26, 2006, which facilitated joint research and development on the recycling of water lilies and organic mud from Pasig River and Laguna Lake.

“We have found out that this project to convert an unwanted waste to a valuable and useful resource is workable. We have proven during our first research and development initiative that mud in Pasig River and Laguna Lake is a valuable raw material, as we have proven that it is organic,” Catan said.

According to Catan, organic mud and biomass — in this case, the water lilies — can be combined, and with a “proper mix” of enzymes and microorganisms, can be transformed into an absolute organic fertilizer.

He said 65 to 70 percent of mud from Pasig River and Laguna Lake is organic. Laguna Lake, which has a total area of 92, 000 hectares, has 2.5 meters of mud.

Catan also said that apart from mud, organic fertilizer can likewise be made from yard or market waste that is blended with biomass.

Meanwhile, Catan said water lilies can be a practical resource to produce “green charcoal” — a Philippine patented technology, which he invented and bagged a bronze during the International Invention Contest in Geneva, Switzerland in 1996.

The “green charcoal” bested 30 other finalists in the environment category of the competition. 

Catan said water lilies could be processed into “green charcoal” through the introduction of microbes and enzymes. 

The concoction would then be sun-dried to form “green charcoal,” which can be an alternative energy source.  

Catan said “green charcoal” can be in the form of pellets, powder, briquettes or whatever form depending on the boiler used.

Unlike charcoal from wood, Catan said the emission of “green charcoal” is not dirty, explaining that it only releases hydrogen and not carbon dioxide, which is being blamed as one of the major causes of global warming and climate change.

Catan said water lilies are abundant in Pasig River and Laguna Lake, thus ensuring sustainable production of the alternative fuel.

Aside from water lilies, other materials that can be used to make “green charcoal” are green leaves, sugarcane tops, weeds of coconut, and rice straws.

Dr. Metodio Palaypay, NCUPC executive director, said some 5,500 tons of garbage is being generated daily in Metro Manila alone.

Palaypay said half of the trash generated in the metropolis is organic or biodegradable and can be transformed into “green charcoal.” 

“This is to address the serious flooding problem (as well as) garbage problem that we have today. Sustainability of the project is not a problem because we have so much mud and water lilies in Pasig River and Laguna Lake,” Catan said.

For his part, Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Lito Atienza welcomed such green technologies, as he vowed to continue cleaning up water systems in the country.