‘No garbage segregation, no collection’ in Parañaque

The city government of Parañaque is implementing a "no segregation, no collection" policy in an effort to promote responsible garbage management and disposal.

Following an intensive and citywide education and information campaign at the barangay level, Mayor Florencio Bernabe said it was time to implement a better solid waste management scheme.

He said the program seeks to follow the provisions of Republic Act 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2001, which requires households as well as commercial and business establishments to segregate biodegradable and non-biodegradable wastes and place them in separate garbage bags, which would be collected on a weekly basis.

Biodegradable waste materials include kitchen waste like fruit peelings, vegetable discards, leftover or spoiled food as well as garden or yard litter like leaves, weeds and twigs.

Non-biodegradable garbage, on the other hand, includes metal, glass, plastic, rubber, bonded composites like foils or tetra packs, paper and cardboard, leather and cloth.

Bernabe said Parañaque currently generates more than 300 metric tons of garbage daily, of which 35 percent is biodegradable and can be composted. Close to 30 percent are considered non-biodegradable and can be recovered and recycled as "factory returnable items."

The city’s Solid Waste Management Board, which is spearheading the "no segregation, no collection" policy in close coordination with barangay officials, said about 85 percent of the garbage comes from households.

This, the mayor noted, is the very reason why segregation at the household level has become a top priority in order for the program to succeed.

"I urge and encourage all homeowners and their domestic helpers to do their share by segregating their garbage," Bernabe said. "They can compost their kitchen or garden wastes or if they don’t have space to do this, they can deposit them in biodegradable bins which their barangay officials will provide. One such bin will be provided for every cluster of 50 homes in every village or subdivision."

In Caloocan City, the local government urged residents to sort their garbage and practice recycling to lessen the waste they produce amid the work stoppage staged by employees of a garbage contractor.

Mayor Enrico "Recom" Echiverri assured the public that the city won’t be affected by the strike of Ren Transport garbage collectors, who decided to stop doing their rounds in different cities to protest the company’s unfair labor practices.

The mayor said other trucks and drivers of Ren assigned to the city that are not included in the barricade are continuing their regular garbage collection.

He said the collection was on schedule and there has been no reported backlog.

He added the local government has a contingency plan in case the collectors stop doing their rounds. He said city garbage trucks are on standby and will take over the areas assigned to the contractor.

These include Maypajo, West Grace Park and C-3 up to Rizal Avenue.

Echiverri earlier warned garbage contractors that he would terminate their services if he receives reports that they have not been following their schedule.

The mayor earlier implemented the Waste Management Program where 16 barangays were chosen to be the pilot test areas for waste segregation.