Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000

Republic Act 9003

Salient Features of the Act

The Act mandates the State to adopt a systematic, comprehensive and ecological solid
waste management program which shall:
Ensure the protection of public health and environment;
Utilize environmentally-sound methods that maximize the utilization of valuable
resource reduction and encourage resources conservation and recovery;
Set guidelines and targets for solid waste avoidance and volume reduction through
source reduction and waste minimization measures, including composting, recycling, reuse, recovery, green charcoal processes, and others, before collection, treatment and
disposal in appropriate and environmentally-sound solid waste management facilities in
accordance with ecologically sustainable development principles;
Ensure the proper segregation, collection, transport, storage, treatment and disposal of
solid waste through the formulation and adoption of the best environmental practices
in ecological waste management excluding incineration;
Promote national research and development programs for improved solid waste
management and resource conservation techniques, more effective institutional
arrangement and indigenous and improved methods of waste reduction, collection
separation and recovery;
Encourage greater private sector participation in solid waste management;
Retain primary enforcement and responsibility of solid waste management with local
government units while establishing a cooperative effort among the national
government, other local government units, non-government organizations, and private
sector;
Encourage cooperation and self-regulation among waste generators through the
application of market-based instruments;
Institutionalize public participation in the development and implementation of national
and local integrated, comprehensive and ecological waste management programs; and
Strengthen the integration of ecological solid waste management and resource
conservation and recovery topics into the academic curricula of formal and non-formal
education in order to promote environmental awareness and action among the
citizenry.

It mandates the various government agencies to do the following in support of the Act:
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) act as overall of the
Commission to be created; prepare a National Solid Waste Management Status Report;

provide technical and capacity-building assistance to local government units; issue rules
and regulations in the implementation of the Act.
Department of Health (DOH) in coordination with the DENR and other concerned
agencies prepare the National Solid Waste Management Status Report which shall be
the basis for the National Solid Waste Management Framework; and together with the
DENR and DILG shall publish the inventory of all solid waste disposal facilities.
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) shall formulate and implement a coding
system for packaging materials and products to facilitate waste recycling and reuse and
with DENR establish and manage a solid waste management information database and
publish a study of existing markets for processing and purchasing recyclable materials
and the potential steps necessary to expand these markets .
Department of Interior and Local Governments ( DILG) - together with the DENR and
DOH shall publish the inventory of all solid waste disposal facilities.
Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Technical
Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and Philippine Information
Agency (PIA) with the DENR shall conduct continuing education and information
campaign on solid waste management.
DepEd and CHED the national government through the DepEd and in coordination
with concerned agencies , non-government organizations and private institutions, shall
strengthen the integration of environmental concerns in school curricula at all levels