How mayors and village associations lessen pollution

(Part III)

My daughter Rachelle, a registered nurse, married an American of Cuban descent. They live with their three daughters in Linden, New Jersey. I requested my son-in-law, Bob Gonzalez, an environmentalist, health and security specialist, to show me how their town has tried to maintain cleanliness. By coincidence, three of his colleagues specialize in environment care. One worked with a methane gas company near the New Jersey Turnpike. Its giant electric machine complex has been sucking out methane gas from two dumpsites, which took 10 years to accumulate and is currently working on the third. The first dumpsite has become a huge sports complex, while the second one is now a winter sports hill for snow sledding. The gas is sold commercially.

The law requiring annual vehicle check-up

Next, he took me to one of the huge city vehicles checkup garages where, by law, each New Jersey vehicle won’t get license renewal unless it passes an annual road safety test. The first hurdle was testing the breaks. The inspector has to drive the car on the metal floor and suddenly put on the breaks. The breaks were checked by a computer machine. The second step is for the car to drive over the metal floor, which electronically gauges the alignment of the wheels.

A checklist, like a vehicle report card, was passed on to every station checker, who would give a mark for each condition of the vehicle. Then the working conditions of the carburetor and oil gasket were carefully inspected. Finally, the headlights, parking lights and batteries were checked. This is required for a comprehensive car insurance coverage.

The third site we visited was the city garage and parking area for the heavy garbage trucks for a particular district. Bob knew the young department head. Apparently he has been regularly attending garbage disposal seminars in different states. Conventions are even held for city waste management. He gave us some magazine catalogs for garbage disposal equipment and vehicles.

Bob’s middle daughter, who studies at the O.B. Montessori Professional Highschool, recounts proudly that Linden’s favorite mayor was John T. Gregorio. “Everyone liked him because he involved all in various constructive activities in Linden, young or old. He kept on being re-elected as mayor for decades. The town named its popular social hall after him.”

Garbage segregation in a plush village

Filipino couple, Dr. Zal and Josie Velez, live in the plush district of West Orange, New Jersey. The houses here are similar to homes in Forbes Park, but what impressed me was how the residents easily cooperate to segregate their recyclable waste materials. A one hectare lot at the back of the residential area, managed by a retired technician, served as the collection place.

There were four metal wagons which measured 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 meters. One was filled with empty plastic gallon jugs for milk and juices. The other wagon carried empty bottles. I saw a lady bringing in several big carton boxes, which she dumped into a compactor which flattened them to one-fourth its size. The custodian pointed to a huge white plastic tank and explained that this is used by residents for used car oil. The other big wagon carried used clothing. This empty lot was provided by the district council. It included storage for rock salt that is scattered on icy roads during winter. Another resident drove in to dispose of his numerous plastic jugs that must have been collected in the past several months. The presence of the custodian is important for he supervises the proper segregation of waste materials of the residents, who come in every 15 minutes the whole day.

I was struck by a thank you note from their mayor — “Dear Dr. & Mrs. Zal Velez, thank you for following our guidelines for our waste segregation program. You have helped uplift cleanliness and beauty of West Orange.” This is impressive, a mayor personally communicating to his constituents. I have never experienced this in the Philippines.

The Mother Earth lesson of Odette Alcantara

Odette was a well-known environmentalist who passed away in 2009. For 27 years her circle of followers have reduced the volume of waste materials in White Plains. The simple village storeroom of recyclables and compost pit backyard covered with healthy plants serve as model for many villages and subdivisions. This is how she says it: “Most things come from Mother Earth! Give them back to her! There is really no such thing as basura. The key to “no basura” is segregation. Resources are things that have value, mga bagay na may gamit. Furthermore, all resources such as leftover food turned into fertilizer can be given back to Mother Earth.”

Her formula begins by putting together all biodegradables for compost making. It requires a pail of soil with a trowel and a size 12" clay pot (paso) beside the dishwashing sink. Procedure: Scrape all food scraps after each meal into the paso. Cover with a trowel full of soil. This deodorizes the fermenting leftovers. When full, empty the paso into a one meter deep hole in your backyard. Be sure you cover this with soil at all times. Water lightly. When there is strong rain, put a tin, wooden or plastic cover over the pit, so the garbage will not float. In two months, with weekly turning, it will decompose into black soil.

How communities can promote recycling

Help create a market for recycled products. In 2002, as then village president of North Greenhills Association, I have designed two tentative holding stations for recyclable materials. One station is a huge vacant lot for bundles of long branches and leaves. The other one is a cyclone-wire shed divided for large, flattened cartons and cardboard boxes, and old tires which are put together, while metal scraps were kept in sturdy box. There are also three huge wooden boxes for large empty plastic jugs, rinsed tin cans and glass bottles and one foot high bundled junk office paper and newspapers. These recyclables are then easily sold to the Linis Ganda pushcart boys organized by Narda Camacho.

Educate the community on the importance of recycling. Every week, we hold a food scrap soil composting demonstration right in front of a cluster of houses. Each board member is assigned a street to monitor with the help of village utility personnel. It is part of our Operation Linis-Bango (Operation Clean-Smell Good). Our weekly news bulletins include the detailed instructions in both English and Filipino of Odette Alcantara’s simple composting formula, which I have been personally using.

Sell it by the ‘yard’

Having a yard or garage sale is a good way to recycle your old things. But why think small? What if dozens or even hundreds of households in your community held garage sales on the same day? It is good for the community since it encourages reuse as a form of recycling by making it “official.” Promoting reuse eases the garbage crunch. It sets an example. You’ll spread the word to other communities that there are creative alternatives to dumping.

Get the support of your mayor and the neighborhood association

Approach your neighborhood association officers or your city government, and get support for the project as a waste reduction or recycling event. Remind them that it will save landfill space and money. Set a date for the sale. Put together a registration form for people who want to participate, so they can tell you where they’ll be holding their garage sales. Use these completed forms to create a “shopper’s map” for the day of the event. Make flyers and signs to post in public places and key intersections. Make arrangements in advance for the charity organization to pick up the items that are left at the end of the day.