QC residents redeem garbage for cash

Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. and Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Angelo Reyes joined yesterday city residents who trooped to the Quezon City Memorial Circle bringing with them recyclable materials, which they exchanged for cash during a day-long collection of recyclable garbage.

Dubbed "The Recycle and Collection Event," the activity spearheaded by the DENR was intended to promote recycling and waste segregation as the solution to the garbage problem confronting local governments.

Belmonte earlier urged city residents to participate in the activity, which underscores the importance of recycling in addressing the garbage problem confronting a city which generates an estimated 1,600 tons of solid waste per day.

Of the garbage generated, 39 percent is considered recyclable.

Recyclable materials that were redeemed for cash were newsprints, magazines, paper, old corrugated cartons, plastic bottles, aluminum cans, lead acid batteries, used printer inks and toners and junk electronics. — Perseus Echeminada