Start to earn from waste this year!

The recommendation of Cebu City's Paul Villarete to ban the use of plastic bags and other similar products to control the drainage problem is a welcome move this early part of the new year. While plastic may be more convenient and cheaper to manufacture, in the long run, plastics cost more because these clog passageways, are difficult to decompose, and are harmful to the environment.

We hope the proposed ban will include Styrofoam as well for the same reasons. If we want to eat fast foods and still retain and protect our environment, Styrofoam and plastics will have to go. Alternatives to these products will have to be required to be used soonest. Banana leaves, paper boxes, and other eco-friendlier packing alternatives can be explored if Cebu has to conserve a healthy sustainable environment for more generations to come.

We want to stress once more that being eco-friendly is also cost-effective. Effective waste management will allow cities to save millions spent for garbage disposal (easily, well-managed waste will mean immediately less budget for gasoline and maintenance needs of garbage trucks, less budget for garbage personnel and more).

We are sure, though, that Paul and Councilor Nestor Archival, the head of the Environment Committee of Cebu City, do not have to be reminded about the value of effective waste management because they have tried and have done their best to draw out the gold from garbage, the wealth from waste. What we all want to do is ask all of you to assist those in local governments in their campaign to finally start extracting the treasures from the trash this new year. How?

Let us start to manage our waste where we are. More specifically, let us start with those in schools and offices. Have someone take care of paper waste, another to manage plastic waste items, then another for bottles etc. There is a need to know the types of waste generated where you are and then to find a way to manage these, NOT throw all these items together, without separating or segregating them. Non-segregation will throw away needlessly the treasures that convert into useless, dirty, smelly trash that need millions of pesos to be disposed in dumpsites and landfills that waste so much productive land that can be used for and by human beings, rather than by spoiled garbage!

Contact specialized buyers and dealers of segregated waste- (for paper waste, call Ma-ville Recycling Center c/o Mike Mancio at 343-3090, 422-0064 and 422-2096, for other types of waste, call Lihok Filipina, 254-8072 c/o Edna or for added information, SOW Center at 412-9392 c/o Gigi ). For those who wish to produce new products from their waste, you can convert kitchen waste into compost, make recycled paper and paper items from waste paper, and more.

Cebu City and other local governments may wish to have a hotline for those interested to know what to do and how to earn from waste?

The Sinulog is another occasion where the local governments can EARN rather than just spend money on waste collection and disposal. As early as now, Councilor Archival can convene various stakeholders to properly manage the huge volume of waste that accumulates every Sinulog. Our suggestion is to zone the Sinulog area and have waste management groups assigned to each zone. Each group's specific task is to segregate the waste and clean up the zone. Their reward can be the earnings that can be derived from selling the collected, segregated waste in their zones.

This early, all of us will have to help draw out the profits from waste. January this new year is never too early or late to make waste work for people, rather than for humans to lose to waste!

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