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SO, MOST – if not all – households in Iloilo City do not segregate their garbage, according to the city government. That means they are not observing Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Law.
It is not unreasonable to say that other local governments have the same problem. We have a very good law but effective implementation rests in the effort of everyone. Local government units, including the barangays, should lead the strict implementation by setting up materials recovery facilities (MRF), implementing no segregation / no collection rule, closure and rehabilitation of open/controlled disposal facilities, and use of sanitary landfills or alternative technologies.
The whole community should be involved and every household should implement segregation at source and practice the 3Rs — reduce, reuse, recycle. How?
Every household should have one trash can for biodegradable and food waste; one trash can for recyclables or residual waste; and another for special or hazardous waste, busted lamps, radio and cellphone batteries, etc. For paper that can be recycled, these can be placed flat in a box or in a paper bag.
When going to market or the grocery, bring containers to avoid using plastic bags. Reusable containers can be used in purchasing fish, meat and other poultry products; while bayong and reusable cloth bags can be used for dry items.
To our local leaders from the provincial, city and municipal levels down to the barangay, greater action is expected as you are tasked to implement the law. It is the barangay that must collect all segregated waste, which should go to the barangay MRF for proper waste management. Biodegradable waste goes to composting, animal feeds or biogas; while recyclables go to the junk shops. Only residual waste should be collected by the city or municipal truck. Meanwhile, special or hazardous waste will go to the city/municipal MRF for proper treatment or disposal in coordination with the Environmental Management Bureau.
We can also “pre-cycle” by avoiding buying unnecessary goods, repairing electronics and appliances, and patronizing recycled products.
Ecological solid waste management should be a way of life. A zero waste lifestyle may seem difficult at first, especially since many of us are not yet used to it. But let us take it as a simple sacrifice that would make our surroundings cleaner, safer and healthier.
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