BACOLOD City – To address the life-threatening challenges of electronic wastes (e-wastes), this city is pushing an ordinance for proper management of discarded electrical or electronic devices and other hazardous waste materials.
The Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) has approved on first reading the proposed e-waste and hazardous waste material management ordinance during its regular session on August 6.
Councilor Wilson Gamboa Jr. said he authored the proposed measure to establish strict guidelines and regulations for the collection, handling, storage, and disposal of e-wastes.
E-waste is any discarded electrical or electronic devices like television, radios, computers, laptops, mobile phones, printers, refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners, electric fans, chargers, transformers, electric circuit boards, and used batteries, among others.
The proposed ordinance also stated that hazardous waste materials are any solid, liquid, gaseous, or semi-solid waste that contains toxic, corrosive, reactive, or infectious elements classified by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) under Republic Act (RA) 6969 (Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear waste Control Act of 1990).
“The increasing volume of e-wastes and other hazardous waste materials poses a serious threat to human health and the environment due to the presence of toxic and hazardous substances,” Gamboa said.
He added: “E-wastes and other hazardous wastes are life-threatening and highly toxic materials, so this proposed ordinance aims to educate all public and private sectors to enable them to actively participate in the protection of the environment, care for their health and well-being, and align themselves with the city’s policy to ensure safety, environmental sustainability, lawful e-waste handling, and consciousness that e-wastes are highly hazardous.”
Under the proposed local measure, Gamboa said that all households, business establishments, schools, government offices, and institutions will be strictly required to segregate and declare all e-wastes for separate handling.
“E-wastes shall not be mixed with regular city garbage or biodegradable/recyclable waste streams. It must be collected only by authorized and trained personnel. Garbage collectors and haulers shall not collect e-wastes during regular garbage collection schedules,” he said.
The proposed ordinance also highlighted that only DENR-accredited e-waste collectors, facilities, or recyclers shall be allowed to transport or dispose of e-waste in the city.
Also, all collected e-wastes shall be temporarily stored in designated storage facilities in compliant with DENR and Department of Health (DOH) guidelines for hazardous wastes, regularly monitored by the City Health Office and DENR. There shall be no open burning or informal dismantling of e-wastes within the city./PN
