Yes to waste segregation!

Today is January 31, the end of Zero Waste Month, observed yearly based on Proclamation No. 760 which highlights the urgent need to reduce waste generation and strengthen the implementation of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 (Republic Act No. 9003).

Were those in Cebu City and province aware of January as the Zero Waste Month and of the 25th anniversary of the implementation of RA 9003, with the theme “Honoring Our Past, Renewing Commitments, Innovating for a Cleaner Tomorrow”?

Going by the Sinulog waste of 1,000 tons, not only were the Cebuanos not aware, but the Cebuanos were also not yet committed to changing their waste disposal practices to protect Mother Earth.

From tomorrow, February 1, 2026, Cebu City will start to implement its no waste segregation, no waste collection campaign. This calls for a major paradigm shift and cooperation from all stakeholders.

Everyone is asked to segregate/manage their own, their household/barangay wastes more responsibly/effectively/sustainably.

Everyone is requested/encouraged to treat wastes as resources, to avoid/reduce/reuse/ recycle/recover wastes rather than continue the practice of throwing/disposing/non-segregating wastes which end up in dumpsites/landfills.

Consider this: If your and every one’s hand that generate/produce garbage start to responsibly segregate and appropriately manage various waste types, 50% more of kitchen/food wastes will instead be converted into compost and green, healthy gardens, 30% or more of plastics and recyclables, and other types of wastes DO NOT HAVE to be collected/disposed of in dumpsites/landfills and create smoky/smelly/unhealthy/dangerous mountains of waste that may again, God forbid, end up like the recent Binaliw tragedy!

To repeat, to reiterate: We need to start with willing, committed hearts and everyone’s hand to reduce/avoid wastes, instead to 1.) Compost wet waste, 2.) Make ecobricks or reuse/recycle/trade plastic waste, 3.) Make paper uling from paper waste, 4.) Recycle, trade other waste.

What is KEY is not to throw/dispose of unsegregated waste, just anywhere, everywhere!

The no waste segregation/no waste collection campaign NEEDS everyone’s, YOUR cooperation.

The first crucial help from each of you is to lend this campaign your hand and at least five minutes of your time per day, to separate/segregate waste and proceed with appropriate management of the various waste types as suggested earlier.

Next, practice, learn to do composting of your own, household kitchen/food wastes. Follow, practice these easy, daily doable steps for composting:

1.) If you have no garden/yard space, prepare your containers (pots, used plastic bags, sacks, banana leaves, others, and remove labels first from pet bottles, cans, bottles;

2.) Put holes at the bottom, side of containers to allow microorganisms that help compost the wet wastes to breathe;

3.) Finely chop/shred your kitchen wastes; next, IMPORTANT, squeeze water out from the chopped wet waste;

4.) Layer (like you are making lasagna or clubhouse sandwich) the chopped/water-squeezed out kitchen/food wastes in any available container:

First, bottom portion -brown soil (about 1-2 inches), then portions of chopped/water-squeezed out kitchen wastes, then soil again. Repeat layering process. Layer soil-wet waste- soil (soil at the bottom, soil on top). Contact City Agriculture/DENR for soil/seed supply. OR make your own soil (check out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4AicGPEmL8 ;

5.) Sprinkle some water; leave/hang out or inside home. Expose briefly to sunlight. Cover/protect from rain. If done well, no smell, no pests/rats/cats/dogs will follow the smell.

About three weeks, wet wastes all convert to compost! Plant fast-growing veggies that will grow within 2-3 months (alugbati, ampalaya, camote tops, others).

If everyone takes five minutes daily to make compost out of their kitchen/food wastes, expect households to enjoy fresh organic vegetables, beautiful plants, seedlings to sell/exchange, no hunger/no poverty.

No stinky/unhealthy household wet wastes to be collected/disposed of in dumpsites/landfills. No expensive/unnecessary/environmentally unfriendly truck collection/disposal system, no lands for garbage, more lands for humans (farms/gardens/housing), healthier people/communities/Cebu!