Youth for Environment in Schools Organization

(YES-O)
Rufino G. Palabrica Sr. National High School
San Matias, Dingle Iloilo

Classroom and Office Procedures

1. In order to implement segregation at source, all bins shall be designated for
specific types of waste as follows:
a. All classrooms, offices, library, hallways and outside bins shall be
separately designated for “RECYCLABLES”, “BIODEGRADABLES”
“RESIDUAL” or “PAPER ONLY”.
b. Groups of bins placed side by side for segregating recyclable,
biodegradable, and residual waste shall be strategically located.Toilet bins
shall be designated for “RESIDUAL WASTE INCLUDING TISSUE
PAPER” only (male toilets) or “RESIDUAL WASTE INCLUDING TISSUE
PAPER AND SANITARY NAPKINS” only (female toilets).
c. Laboratory bins may be designated for “PAPER ONLY”, “RESIDUAL
WASTE” or ‘SPECIAL/HAZARDOUS WASTE” as appropriate.
d. Each building or each academic unit (as the situation demands) shall have
one bin for “SPECIAL/HAZARDOUS WASTE”.

EXAMPLES OF THE TYPES OF WASTE

Paper only: clean paper, scratch paper, notebook paper, printer
paper, newspaper, handouts, magazines, paper ads, etc.; not
including tissue

Recyclables: translucent plastic bottles for water or juice, aluminum

cans (soft drink cans), tin cans, steel cans, glass bottles, opaque
plastic bottles, clean paper, clean carton or cardboard, etc.

Biodegradables: food waste, fruit peels, rice, vegetables, leftover

food, fish bones, barbecue sticks, leaves, twigs, grass cuttings, old
flowers, pencil shavings—everything that naturally degrades; not
including plastic

Residual waste: sachets, plastic wrappers, thin plastic bags, plastic

snack bags, tetrapaks and other mixed-material containers (e.g.,
inseparable paper-plastic, paper-aluminum, etc.), any Styrofoam
waste, plastic straws, plastic spoons/forks, single-use plastic cups,
etc.
 Special/hazardous waste: batteries, light bulbs, fluorescent tubes,
spray cans, paints, chemicals (e.g., solvents, thinners), needles,
syringes, thermometers, blood-contaminated materials, etc.
o Each bin shall be labelled in English/Tagalog/Hiligaynon to indicate the
specific type of waste for which the bin is designated. If space permits,
pictorials may be used to illustrate examples of the types of waste that may
be placed in the bin.
o In the future, a uniform color-coding may be adopted. [A sample color coding
is suggested by the recommendations in the draft DENR DAO on guidelines
for mandatory solid waste segregation-at-source: Biodegradable – green,
Recyclable – blue, Residual – black.] Alternatively, bins could also be
transparent for easy identification of contents, with the label or some part of
the bin painted with the recommended color code. Where necessary, bins
could be lined with sacks or plastic bags that can be cleaned and used
repeatedly.
o Color coding at the clinic shall follow DOH guidelines: Infectious or
Pathological– yellow, Biodegradable – green, Pharmaceutical wastes –
yellow with black band, Recyclable or Residual can be black or colorless but
recyclable bins should have the recycling symbol (Healthcare Waste
Management Manual, DOH, 2015).

2. Collection Procedure
o Learners shall collect trash from inside their respective classrooms or
designated staff shall collect trash from inside their respective offices at the
end of the class period to avoid pest and rodent infestation.
o Collection of waste shall be done under the supervision of the YES-O
Officers and segregation shall be maintained during collection and transport.
o Collection is scheduled every Monday, Wednesday and Friday
afternoon. NO SEGREGATION, NO COLLECTION policy will be
implemented.
o YES-O officers will keep a record of and monitor each classroom's
compliance with the trash collection. The entire class will be required to
perform community service after three (3) consecutive violations of the
policy.
o Waste shall be transported to the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF). The
MRF shall include a secondary sorting area to ensure proper segregation.
Periodic measurements of the degree of segregation shall be made and
recorded to ensure target levels of compliance are achieved. An appropriate
number of people shall be assigned to the MRF.
o The MRF shall include segregated storage areas for recyclables,
biodegradable materials, special wastes, and residual wastes. Recyclable
materials shall be stored until they are transported to junkshops, recyclers,
or recycling facilities. Biodegradable (compostable) waste will be processed
in composting, some biodegradable waste, such as wood, may be donated.
Residual waste shall be collected by the LGU’s dump truck and taken to the
Municipality’s dumpsite or landfill.
o Measurements of the weights and volumes of recyclable, biodegradable,
residual, and special wastes shall be made and recorded; measurements
shall be shared with the Monitoring and Evaluation Team for the purpose of
evaluating performance and working towards Zero Waste targets.
o Leftover foods not brought home shall be fed to animals (e.g., given to
piggeries or animal shelters), except for spoiled foods which shall be
processed in composting.
o Special / hazardous wastes (such as asbestos corrugated roof sheets, waste
oils, fluorescent lamps, and batteries) shall be stored safety at or near the
MRF until they are removed by an accredited hazardous waste
transporter/treater approved by DENR/EMB.