Cavy

𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦 - 𝘚𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 - 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘸 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘺

💡 DID YOU KNOW?

China is the world's largest producer and consumer of plastic.

About 60 million tonnes of plastic waste was produced by the country in the year 2020 alone and consumes at least one-fifth of the world's plastic (making them the largest importer of plastics). The government took a step and pushed to fully eliminate the unreasonable use of plastic in all marketplaces as packaging by 2025.

What is Waste Management?

Waste management is the process or strategy of disposing, reducing, reusing, and preventing waste pollution. It benefits the people and environment as it not only gives livelihood but also prevents the rise of waste pollution in different areas in the countries globally mainly caused by urbanization and industrialization. Solid waste pollution means waste created by humans that have been dumped in the environment. Solid wastes contaminate the environment as it is frequently seen in the ocean, near the coast, and on land.

Waste Management in the Philippines

In the Philippines, the enactment of Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management of 2000 mandates waste segregation at the barangay level and local government units have to enforce the law. To follow this enactment, local governments create project programs such as segregation, scheduled waste collection, and recycling.  

In Baguio City, Bigay Dangal sa Kabuhayan (BIDAKA) program emphasizes giving livelihood to residents and recycling waste materials turning into high-quality and practical products like school bags, money bags, and other products. 

In Pasig City, the local government has a partnership with Unilever launching the Walastik na Pasig program. Pasigueños are urged to gather and clean sachets, plastic bags, and other single-use packaging to participate. Those who drop off their properly sorted waste in authorized Walastik junk stores will receive an equivalent cash incentive per kilogram contributed. 

The Quezon City government has established a game application called QC BasuHERO—developed by the Department of Sanitation and Cleanup Works of Quezon City (DSQC) that aims to entertain and educate regarding the differences between biodegradable, non-biodegradable, recyclables, bulky wastes and special wastes. A house-to-house recyclables trading activity under the QC BasuHERO was done collecting a total of 4,756 kg in two subdivisions.

💡 DID YOU KNOW?

Bubble wrap takes 10 to 1,000 years to decompose. 

Oftentimes, items bought online or parcels on e-commerce sites like Shopee and Lazada are in bubble wrap. The main function of bubble wrap is to protect the item and prevent it from being damaged during shipping processes. However, its prevalent use adds up to plastic pollution as it is non-biodegradable. Although it can be recycled, it takes more effort and takes 10 to 1,000 years to decompose.

According to Win Gatchalian (2020), the average Filipino adult produces between two to three times their own body weight in trash over the course of a single year. Our habits of consumption and production have a direct impact on the quantity of garbage we produce. The difficulty arises from the large volume of goods that are introduced and purchased on the market. A rise in the proportion of one-person families in a household has an impact on how much garbage is produced. The daily use of shampoo in a sachet, drinking cola from plastic and its partner straw, a parcel from the online market, and such that we didn’t even notice. Even if we see the full garbage bag, you won’t even realize that half of it is recyclable and you would not bother. You are most likely disgusted by it because it is mixed waste—not segregated. 

As a result, despite the law enactment, organizations, and programs, solid segregation remains a challenge in the country, especially in urbanized areas. The major thing is that people do not see the essence of waste management. Many become after only the exchange of their trash. For example, students are tasked to contribute recycled plastic bottles and those who will participate will receive an addition to their grades. Then, some students will buy plastic bottles in the junk shop just to receive the benefit. Similar to people in the community contributing their segregated wastes in exchange for money. However, without the incentives, the programs are none to people. This adds up to many reasons why wastes are still part of the global challenges.

Impact of COVID-19 on Waste Pollution and Management

In the Philippines, one of the earliest controversial news in 2022 is about the piling medical waste in one of the hospitals in Quezon province. Due to many complaints received and worries of residents nearby, hazardous waste have called the attention of the local government and media. Following the news, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) collects 1,000 metric tons of medical waste equivalent to 166 trucks daily. Apart from regular waste from hospitals, medical wastes also include the used personal protective equipment (PPE) of medical workers, used needles and syringes, contaminated tools, and swabs. Hence, the risk of health increases due to viruses that could be transmitted from contaminated waste to people.

In the peak of COVID-19 in different parts of the Philippines, public and private hospitals reached their maximum capacity. This makes people get treated at home with professional supervision. However, it adds to another type of waste classified as special waste at home. Special waste is a solid waste (usually from business companies) that requires special handling due to its specification which is hazardous. In pre-pandemic, Filipino households are guilty of failing to continuously segregate their waste and reduce the use of plastics. This makes the result of the waste management problem not shocking at this time of pandemic.

Not just the virus brought by COVID, but the Earth choking on waste could end human existence due to its various impacts. The so-called new normal lifestyle has changed people and the waste they produced. The masks used daily have become a common waste in Asian countries. Ironic that the mask could save us and has the potential to kill us too. The lockdown and social distancing have led to an increase in home delivery services. The delivery services grow the plastic packaging consumption. And last reality example, the recycling markets have shut down or closed temporarily due to major lockdown and limited access to spaces. This killed the process of slowing down the regulation of increasing waste by collecting recyclable wastes and recycling processes. Countries cannot effectively manage garbage from hospitals and other therapeutic settings without properly integrated solid waste management systems.

💡 DID YOU KNOW?

An estimated 12 million plastics are used in the Shopee 12.12 sale.

In the year 2020, Shopee celebrated its record-breaking sale on December 12 (known as 12.12) with 12 million items sold in the first 24 minutes. This draws the estimation of more than 12 million plastic waste from e-commerce being used as the packaging for sold items. Despite the astounding and unsustainable use of plastic packaging, there is no available public data that depicts how much waste these companies use and produce. On the other hand, China is the Philippines’ top trading partner, export market destination, and import source in 2019. Hence, e-commerce trading from China to the Philippines adds up to the country’s plastic waste.

How Can We Help? (Various methods of waste management)

The industry in urban cities is growing as it aims to improve the quality of life of the citizens, which comes with a negative effect as consumption increases, and as a result, a high volume of waste is being released into the environment. This high volume of waste comes with different negative effects on the environment itself, as well as the health of the citizens. With that being said, waste management plays a vital role in handling this environmental crisis. Our lives have also improved due to the continuous evolution in the industry. However, consequences, such as the release of harmful waste into the environment, should also be taken into consideration and must be handled properly and professionally.

The following are the methods for waste management according to the Federal Office for the Environment:

Recycling This method is about reusing already used or consumed products. This method has two types: material recycling and downcycling. Material recycling is about recovering raw materials from waste, while downcycling is producing lower quality material from waste.

Incineration Thermal treatment is used for wastes that are combustible. The heat from the process will further be used in generating electricity and heat while waste with low levels of contaminants may be used in industrial plants

Chemical-physical and biological treatment Its objective is to remove the pollutants from the waste where the pollutants will be disposed of in a concentrated form and will be used in accordance with its suitable purpose.

Landfills After the process of waste incineration, the residues and waste that cannot be used for material recycling or thermal treatment will be deposited in landfills in accordance with the legal aspects. However, wastes that are not suitable for the said process will undergo pre-treatment.

Collection and logistics The tasks in waste management sectors include waste collection at source, which involves industry, commerce, and households; intermediate storage, and handover to waste disposal operations. In handling hazardous waste, the Ordinance on Movements of Waste states that the handover of these materials must always be documented.

💡 KNOW & SUPPORT

Aside from participation and cooperation in waste management, Filipinos have contributed steps in business promoting zero waste, reducing the use of plastic, and recycling. There is greater importance in knowing the available local businesses that aim to eradicate waste pollution and the unsustainability use of plastics. As a consumer, part of our contribution is recognizing the eco-friendly lifestyle and supporting its concept. The following are examples of companies and businesses that we should be hugging.

Envirotech Waste Recycling Inc. This is a recycling company owned by Winchester O. Lemen that has currently 5 plants (Zambales, Nueva Ecija, Surigao Del Norte, Davao City, and Koronadal City) all over the Philippines. This company aims to reduce the global problem of plastic waste by recycling and turning them into beneficial products.

Sultry Cosmetics This local brand offers eco-friendly made lip balms in 8 shades and comes in big (JumboBalm) and small (BabyBalm) sizes. They claimed to be handmade, made with 100% natural ingredients, and placed in eco-friendly tubes. For further information check their available pages on Facebook, Instagram, Shopee, and TikTok. 

Human Nature You've probably heard about Human Nature as they are widely distributed in many online stores, physical stores, and groceries nationwide. Since 2008 they have been producing natural personal care and cosmetic products, known as pro-Filipino, pro-Philippines, and pro-environment. A portion of your purchase is donated to Gawad Kalinga and other charities that support underprivileged Filipino communities.  

The Eco Shift Available in Shopee and selected stores at Alabang, BGC, Makati and Quezon City. The Eco Shift has made an identity as one of the eco-friendly local businesses with a mission to help people shift from plastic use to eco-friendly options. The Eco Shift products claimed to be handmade, natural, plastic-free, vegan, cruelty-free and made in the Philippines.

Importance of Waste Management

The Idea of Waste Management

The increasing amount of waste worldwide has been a problem for humanity since the invention of plastics and other indestructible materials. As we speak, the average waste that is being generated in the world was recorded to be at rate of 2.24 billion tonnes. This means that the world has been producing more and more waste as we go along with human development and progress. As per the record, an average person produces a carbon footprint of 0.79 kilograms per day. This issue is so urgent that there are already scientific activists that go out on the streets to petition for a better living society.

Regarding this matter, the said activist voices the importance of having refined waste management solutions all across every country in the world. Some countries deploy waste management programs that include segregation and recycling of waste that can still be used. There are also countries that employ laws against littering and push their countrymen to have a better waste management plan at home. Waste management is the process of proper waste disposal and monitoring of waste materials. This being said, waste management is an  important tool to at least reduce the waste count of the world. This may also include regular transport and collection of waste, recycling, and processing of the disposal of the said garbage. 

In the Philippines, the government passed a law regarding the importance of waste management processes. This law is called Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, which provides the country with a systematic, comprehensive, and ecological waste management program to ensure the safety and protection of public health and the environment. This is for the efforts of social justice and health assurance against waste-induced diseases and further health hazards. 

Moreover, the country is said to be one of the biggest contributors to plastic waste all across the globe. With this, the government encourages the country to always perform the 3 R's, or REUSE, REDUCE, and RECYCLE campaigns. This campaign is for the reduction of plastic and non-biodegradable waste. production in the country. There are also efforts to put up some segregation bins in order for the community to classify their waste and know what to recycle and what to dispose of the right way. 

The city government of Metro Manila once had a program intended for the betterment of the city’s waste management system. The city government provided three-color bins that will be used for the segregation of waste in every street and household. The said colors will classify which will be the wastes as biodegradable wastes, wastes that are classified to be decomposed under the landfills or those that are non-biodegradable, and those that are classified to be recyclable such as plastics, cans, and papers.