Name: Vanessa Joyce V.

Gonzaga
Course: English 13 Section: SDEG
Date: December 12, 2019
Professor: Dr. M.R.G. Ancheta
Concept Paper: Turning Trash to Treasures: The Ways We Can Solve the Crisis on Solid Waste
Management in the Philippines

Ineffective collection of solid waste and the shortage of proper disposal facilities are just some of

the common problems of developing countries like the Philippines. Our nation has been facing various

issues involving waste management starting from the early 1990s. Overtime, it has been getting worse as

the country got urbanized and modernized and its population inflated. These sprouted to problems

concerning environmental and human health, problems that if left untreated, will generate bigger

problems in the future. Endangering the very existence of humans in Earth.

Let us look into the history and background of the problem to see the rise of the crisis with waste

in the Philippines, and clearly perceive the factors that contributed to the evolution of waste management

problems in the country. It is essential to know what are the events that transpired prior to this problem to

be able to identify the hidden reasons for the rise of the crisis and formulate possible solutions using

available resources available to our country. Solid waste has developed as the leading noticeable

ecological priority in the metropolises and towns of the Philippines. According to World Bank, at the start

of the second millennium, an average Filipino produces 0.3 to 0.7 kilograms of trash everyday depending

on their income levels. The National Capital Region, which is no surprise, considering the dense

population of the area, and Southern Tagalog Region generate the highest amount of waste (56-73).

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority calculated in a survey that ten million tons just of municipal

solid waste was generated in 2000 and the demand for collection efficiency is rapidly increasing as waste

generation rises. However, sites for treatments and disposal of waste are improperly situated and

managed. Majority of the waste collected are from the urbanized areas, whereas only 30 percent is

collected in rural areas. During these times, separate collection of segregated waste is still minimal. It is

estimated that about 2 percent of the waste generated in the Philippines is disposed appropriately in

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sanitary dumps. Nearly 10 percent is composted, and a small portion is recycled. The rest is disposed in

open dumps. Another main contributor of waste are the hospitals in the country that generate an estimate

of 6,750 tons/year of dangerous and infectious waste. Before, some of this waste is incinerated, but the

Clean Air Act of 2000 banned the operation of all incinerators after November 2003(Japan International

Cooperation Agency 34). It can be concluded from these facts that the demand of sanitary landfills and

dumpsites is too high because of the heavy supply of waste from the locals that the country was not able

to meet it.

But for the good part, problems in waste recycling and disposal always entice the public’s

attention and many non-governmental organizations (NGOs) since the early 1990s. They have been

advocating for the environment through programs that promote recycling such as Zero Waste Recycling

Movement and “Linis Ganda”. Organizations have voiced out of the inappropriate managing of open

dumps and landfills, the siting of future facilities, and incineration of waste that led to the drafting of RA

9003 also known as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 (ESWMA), that was signed

into law last 2001(Catipay). In the rules of RA 9003, the local government will be accountable for

collecting nonrecyclable materials and special wastes. On the other hand, smaller barangays are given the

task of collecting and segregating the biodegradable, compostable, and reusable wastes. Final

categorization, separation, composting, and reusing of garbage will be dealt in Materials Recovery

Facilities, while the residual wastes will be transported to a properly-maintained landfill. The common

collection practice is through house-to-house collection though local plans vary from government to

government encompassing the services for waste collection and the trail maps of garbage collection for

government vehicles. Regions waste disposal practices are refined and sanitary landfill facilities are

established in accordance with R.A. 9003. This law also include a creation of a national level center for

ecology to provide information, training, and networking services to smaller unit of local government;

mandatory segregation and recycling of solid waste at the barangay level; creation of boards of

management for solid waste from the provincial, to city, and municipality levels; and establishing

versatile cooperatives for the environment in every local government. R.A. 9003 also seeks to provide aid

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to the National Solid Waste Management Commission in implementing plans on solid waste management

and proposes policies to achieve the objectives of the National Ecology Center in the management and

training of local government units concerned with management of waste (Department of Environment and

Natural Resources). RA 9003 has been a potential solution to effectively address solid waste

management. However, the operation of this law is way overdue from its schedule, reduction and

segregation are only happening on an individual barangay level or not at all, same with the active

participation of Filipino citizens. It is not taken seriously by the Filipino people and even though it is a

well-drafted law, it failed to completely and effectively eradicate our country’s problem with solid waste

management.

Though in the study of Navarro of the systems of Solid Waste Management in Metro Manila, she

highlighted that despite the slacking of the law’s implementation, it still contributed by growing awareness

among the cities’ denizens and the townspeople from surrounding areas. This has inspired the growth of

organized group of NGOs devoted to the cause of solid waste management. The vastness of coverage of

the Solid Waste Management system and the responsibilities that it entails is overwhelming. The

government, obviously cannot bear the weight of the problems alone, as society has been a willing and

active participant in solid waste generation. Implementation of reforms must, therefore, be a concerted

effort of the government, the support of public and the private sector (33-34). This, unfortunately, is a

challenging task, as it requires a great change in principles and lives of the Filipinos. It demands a sturdy

frame, a governing body free from corruption, to stir the public’s full involvement and commitment in the

implementation of such reorganizations. No one should be exempted from the rules.

In the current government administration, RA 9003 is in their own words, “intensified”. The

management of solid waste and closure of dumpsites and establishment of material recovery facilities

(MRF) are prioritized. However, due to the lack of technical and financial constraints, it is reported that

many local government units in the country are still operating illegal disposal facility (National Solid

Waste Management Council), making the collection of waste in a national level, difficult. The

Philippines, without a doubt, has effectively formulated “very good or ideal” policies, but the problem

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arises on effective implementation (Atienza 18). Filipino citizens are not complying very much. They are

not realizing that their current actions will immensely affect the future of their following generations.

We, Filipinos, should be concerned of the problems in waste management because it is negatively

affecting our environmental and physical health as emphasized by Pugot in his petition to call for

volunteers in a cleaning drive. We are slowly poisoning our environment and, in the end, ourselves.

Expounding more in this argument, samples of liquid runoff, or leachate, from the Rodriguez and Payatas

dump sites were found to have levels of contaminants that were far above the maximum allowed in

drinking water. These seeps untreated into underground aquifer, an underground source of potable water,

and runs into the Marikina and Pasig River systems, and Manila Bay, a fisheries resource. The risks it

entails to human health is something that should not be taken lightly. Amounts of lead, a chemical that

can induce illness in children, causing decreased mental abilities, learning difficulties, and reduced

growth is found in the samples. Nitrogen is present of up to 32 times over safe levels. Infants below the

age of 6 months who drink water containing nitrite, a subset of total nitrogen, in excess of safe levels can

become seriously ill and, if left untreated, may die. Arsenic levels of the liquid flowing to our rivers from

the dumpsites were found to be 60 times above maximum safe levels and ingesting this lead to skin

damage, circulatory system problems, and an increased risk of cancer. High levels of fecal coliform were

also present in large amounts. High concentrations of many other dangerous contaminants, such as heavy

metals (zinc, copper, barium, manganese, cadmium, and chromium), hazardous organics in the form of

pathogens are also present in the samples (Westfall and Allen 44-47). Improperly maintained dump sites

are also becoming breeding places of mosquitoes, flies, mice, rats and other scavengers that transmit

diseases to the public (Mawis). The damage that our environment felt will also endanger humans, and this

is deeply troubling.

Another serious concern, is the presence and operations of hundreds of thousands of waste

pickers and scavengers at the dump sites. They are working in dangerous and filthy conditions as these

people do not have a proper organization making them unprotected against the dangers of waste handling.

Even children, as young as 5 years of age, work at some of these dump sites (Escalante). One of the most

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famous tragedy in dump sites happened in July, 2000, when a hill of garbage collapsed due to heavy rain,

creating a landslide of piled up garbage and buried an entire community of waste-pickers alive— an

estimate of 705 people died as some bodies were never found and hundreds of families were left

homeless. Though the site was immediately closed following the incident by then President Joseph

Estrada, it was reopened weeks later by then-Quezon City Mayor Ismael Mathay Jr. to avert an epidemic

in the city due to uncollected garbage caused by the closure (Sison and Felipe ).

Now that we’ve looked into the problem of the country of the management of solid wastes, it is

not enough to just be aware of it. The government, public and private sectors and local communities must

help each other to solve this crisis. The establishment and operation of “Waste To Energy” facilities that

will enhance the sustainability of disposal system for municipal residual wastes to all provinces and

highly urbanized areas will significantly enhance the economic development of the country by promoting

job opportunities for the Filipinos. This in return will also help in reducing the country’s reliance on

imported oils as a power source. In this case, we can adapt the program in Brazil that turn their solid

waste to sources of energy that power their homes. In a growing landfill in Guatapará City, a small town

just 200 miles west of Brazil’s largest city, São Paulo is where tons of household and industrial waste

from the big city go. All that waste is producing copious amounts of landfill methane that is captured

using three Jenbacher Gas Engines that can generate 4.2 megawatts, enough electricity to power 13,000

Brazilian homes. Converting landfill methane into an electrical source of energy also lessens the

greenhouse gases emitted into the Earth’s atmosphere. The methane from the landfill is produced by the

respiration of anaerobic bacteria deep in the oxygen-free guts of garbage dumps. Even if the gases

produced by the bacteria contain levels of nitrogen and carbon dioxide which makes it impure and

troublesome during combustion, engineers designed the engine of the machine to swallow the impurities

and run at full capacity despite the poor quality of the methane produced at the landfill. (Kellner). With

the effectiveness and the friendliness of the gas engines to the environment, it is clear that projects

capturing landfill gas like this are not going away anytime soon and I hope that the Philippines will be

able to acquire innovative machines like these as it not only reduces the air pollution from waste, it also

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generates low-cost electricity for the people and help reduce green-house gases emitted to our planet’s

atmosphere that cause global warming.

For the problems of the Filipinos in plastic-use, we can learn from the study of Dr Rajagopalan

Vasudevan, dean and professor of chemistry at the Thiagarajar College of Engineering in the South Indian

city of Madurai. He realized that prohibiting single use plastics and other types of the polymer will be

very unfair for the lower class of society that cannot afford to buy large amounts of basic daily needs like

shampoos, soaps for hygiene and food. Upon experimenting, he found out that when melted , plastic

exhibit excellent binding qualities. Acting on the principle that like attracts like, Dr Vasudevan looked at

another chemical of similar nature: bitumen, a black tarry substance that was being combined with gravel

to lay roads. Upon the addition of molten plastic to a mixture of stone and bitumen, Dr Vasudevan found

that, agreeing with its nature, plastic dried easily as it bind both of the materials together. It is proven by

India’s roads that bitumen modified from plastic enhanced durability and flexibility of roads, also, rate of

formation of holes were lessened as the layer of molten plastic occupied the spaces between the gravel

and bitumen. It acts like an umbrella for the roads that thwarts water or any liquid from seeping in and

causing structural defects. Plastic from water bottles, notebook liners, single-use bags with a thickness of

less than 50 microns; all kinds of plastic waste is fed into his shredder and reduced to strips. Asphalt is

subjected to extreme heat with temperature of 170 C. This step will be followed with sprinkling shredded

plastic about the size of 70 microns. As the bits of plastic gets dissolve through subjection to high

temperature, its phase turns into a hot red liquid, then pre-heated bitumen is added into the mixture, the

liquid plastic molds with the bitumen resulting to a shiny tar-like surface, afterwards, it is ready to get laid

into highways and roads. Before, for every kilometer of road, 10 tons of bitumen are needed to ensure its

strength but because of the addition of plastic, only 9 tons of it is used. Dr Vasudevan also points out that

the plastic used is softened at 170C and is not heated at temperatures above 270C (518F) where it will

emit toxic fumes, so there is no question of toxic gases being released. Since plastic coats the stone and

interacts with the hot bitumen, its properties change and it doesn’t break down when exposed to light and

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heat. (Thiagarajan). This is also a great solution to our country’s problem with plastic as we cannot

prohibit small-scale vendors and even big companies to stop selling their products wrapped in plastic. It

cannot be buried, and burning it in large scales will harm the Ozone layer of our planet, therefore turning

it to road is a very effective and efficient way to use plastic.

Moving on from the solutions to the physical problems with solid management, let us move to the

social problems like lack of discipline and obedience of the Filipinos. Even if we adapt these

technological innovations, in the end, the faith of the problem in solid waste management of our country

will be in our hands. We are the caretakers of our home and we must be responsible for it because no one

will do this job for us. With that we can borrow the policies and creative laws from Japan, it can be the

answer to these people’s indecent behaviors. Our neighboring country has one of the

most complicated recycling systems in the world but it sure is effective. Public awareness of the need to

segregate and recycle their trash is high in their nation. Under their Containers and Packaging Recycling

Law, medium- and large-scale businesses are obligated to recycle all glass and plastic bottles, paper and

plastic containers. Business-establishments pay for every weight and volume of recyclables that their

customers used for it to be collected. Citizens are educated of the proper segregation of waste that reach

up to 30-40 categories depending on the town. Flyers are given which are printed in different languages

such as English, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Filipino and Italian to educate even

foreigners too. Waste has to be put out in local-authority designated clear bags –those who do not follow

will be excluded from the collection and their bags will be etched with, red sticker with bold statements

on it explaining the owner’s misdemeanor notifying the entire neighborhood of one’s offence. Their

textbooks ranging from manga, literary books, novels contain ways of separating trash correctly making

their citizens left with no excuse to follow the proper segregation of wastes and learn it (Fran). Another

notable recycling solution is the “Green Dot System” of Germany that has been replicated across the

European Union countries and is a prime example of “producer responsibility” in practice. Their

government require the manufacturers and retailers to pay for the packaging of their product using this

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system. The heavier the packaging of the product have, the higher the fee needed to be paid thus

encouraging for businesses to limit the use of materials in packaging and practice recycling(Baughan

and Evale 7). This has been a successful system that led to decrease in paper, glass and metal use

therefore reducing the amount of waste produced. Last is that of France’s strong initiative to ban

supermarket food waste and mandate large retailers to donate leftover food. This law, passed in February

2019, and has been marked as the first legislation of its kind with an effort to reduce food waste — an

issue affecting every country across the world (González-Vaqué 6 ).

These are just some of the innovative and creative ways that other countries did to combat their

problems with solid waste management that in my opinion can be applied in our country as well.

Philippines has been battling this issue for decades now. We, Filipinos should also take into mind that our

government should not be the only ones making a move to eradicate this crisis as we are also part of this.

If we will help each other in times like this and show our unity and discipline in following the future rules

to be mandated by our government in the future despite the diversity of our cultures, beliefs and traditions

we can defeat this problem. Remember, that we are the ones that created it, generations by generations of

the past have failed to tackle down this issue. Now, we as the present generation, should not let this to just

get passed down to the succeeding generations, when we have the power to eradicate it completely. Just

think about this, do you want the solid waste management crisis to get inherited by your children,

grandchildren, great, grandchildren and so on? How will you answer them when they asked you of what

you have done to help solve this problem? Remember that we have the power if we unify and achieve our

goals. We can make the change for better future, we should take care and love our nature, we can be the

cause and effect, we should be the ones who protect, making the world a better place for all of us in this

Earth.

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 WORKS CITED

Atienza, Vella. “Philippine Chapter.” State of the 3Rs in Asia and the Pacific 2017: 18. Print.

Catipay, Karyl. “Generation of Waste .” The Philippine Daily Inquirer 1 Mar. 2001: 2. Print.

Department of Environment and Natural Resources. “INTENSIFIED ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION:

SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT.” Solid Waste Management. N.p., 11 Jan. 2019. Web. 7 Dec. 2019.

Escalante, Shirley. “Waste-Picking a Means to an End for Philippines' Poor.” ABC News. N.p., 3 Sept. 2016.

Web. 10 Dec. 2019.

Fran, Wu. “‘Recycling in Japan’ or ‘Reasons to Get It Right and Avoid Eternal Shame.’” SoraNews24. N.p.,

15 May 2014. Web. 7 Dec. 2019.

González-Vaqué, Luis. French and Italian Food Waste Legislation: An Example for other EU Member States

to Follow?. European Food and Feed Law Review. 2007: 6. Print.

Japan International Cooperation Agency. Urban Environment and Solid Waste Management Study. Tokyo:

GHK/MRM International Ltd, 1999. 34. Print.

Kellner, Tomas. “This Mountain of Brazilian Trash Hides Powerful Treasure.” GE Reports. N.p., 23 Feb.

2016. Web. 10 Dec. 2019.

Mawis, Sara Mae D. “Solid Waste Mismanagement in the Philippines.” Inquirer Business Solid waste

mismanagement in the Philippines Comments. N.p., 18 May 2019. Web. 10 Dec. 2019.

Metro Manila Development Authority “A Trash Course in Philippines”. Print

Navarro, Rhea. A Systems Approach on Solid Waste Management in Metro Manila, Philippines, 2003. Print.

Pugot, Lomen. “Improper Waste Disposal and Littering.” Change.org. N.p., 6 Oct. 2017. Web. 7 Dec. 2019.

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Sison, Bebot, and Cecile Suerte Felipe. “Payatas Tragedy: One Year After.” Philstar. N.p., 10 July 2001.

Web. 7 Dec. 2019.

Baughan, Joan Sylvain and Evale, Colleen. The Green Dot System: Promoting Recycling in the European

Union. Washington, D.C.: Eurowatch, 2004: 7. Print.

“Support in the Establishment of MRFs and Closure and Rehabilitation of Open/Controlled Dumpsites:

National Solid Waste Management Commission - Secretariat.” National Solid Waste Management

Commission Secretariat. Department of Natural Resources , 12 Apr. 2016. Web. 11 Dec. 2019.

The World Bank Group. Philippines' Environment. November, 2001. 56-73.Print.

Thiagarajan, Kamala. “The Man Who Paves India's Roads with Old Plastic.” The Guardian. Guardian News

and Media, 9 July 2018. Web. 10 Dec. 2019.

Westfall , Matthew S., and Nicholas Allen. The Garbage Book: Solid Waste Management in Metro Manila.

Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila, Philippines: Asian Development Bank, 2004.44-47. Print

“I value intellectual integrity and the highest standards of academic conduct. I am committed to an ethical learning environment that promotes a high

standard of honor in scholastic work. Academic dishonesty undermines institutional integrity and threatens the academic fabric of the University

of the Philippines. And because I believe that dishonesty is not an acceptable avenue to success, I affix my signature to this work to affirm that it

is original and free of cheating and plagiarism, and does not knowingly furnish false information.”

______________________________________________
VANESSA JOYCE V. GONZAGA

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