Chapter 1

The Statement of the Problem and Its Background

Introduction

Wastes are inevitable part of human activity. The problems associated with waste can be

traced back to the very beginning of civilization, when humans gathered in communities. Wastes

generated were contained and disposed of by natural processes. Rapid population growth and

industrialization has made the waste situation a huge problem in the Philippines. With todays

lifestyle, it is estimated that one person can generate as much as half a kilogram of waste a day.

The continuous stream into the market of new products and the use of latest packaging

technology further heighten the problem because new kinds of garbage are produced. Not only is

there an increase in the amount of wastes, there is also an increase in the variety of wastes

(Guzman & Reyes, 2003).

Wastes could be solid or liquid and both are hazardous. This study will focus on solid

wastes. Solid wastes include household refuse, agricultural remnants, food leftovers, plastic bags,

tin cans, ash and packaging, such as cartons and used sacks. They become waste once they have

been discarded because they are no longer needed in their present form. Refuse, garbage, litter

and street sweepings are all terms used to describe solid wastes in various situations (Hygiene

and Environmental Health, http://www.open.edu/openlearnworks/mod/oucontent/view.php?

id=209 &section=1.3P).

As reported by Guzman et al (2010), solid waste management is one of the most critical

environmental problems today. Solid waste management is defined as the direct generation,

collection, storage, transport, source separation, processing, treatment, recovery and disposal of
solid wastes (Enriquez, 2011). Solid waste management concerns removal of discarded materials

to prevent spread of diseases, minimize the likelihood of fires and reduce purifying organic

material. It is also disposing discarded materials in a manner that is environmentally acceptable

(Guzman et al., 2010).