System for waste management
We had earlier discussed our role as waste generators and our individual responsibility for waste management. We agree with our readers that companies that produce waste need to be regulated as well.
This time, let us focus on waste collection and disposal. The good news is, in our area, our garbage truck collectors refuse to pick up non-segregated garbage on designated dates. One day is for wet garbage and paper only. The next day is for plastic waste only. The bad news is for almost a month, there was no garbage collection in our community, especially for wet garbage. The garbage truck broke down, we were told. It was on the fourth week only and, coincidentally, at the start of the term of newly-elected barangay officials this July that wet garbage collection resumed finally, gratefully.
Generally, garbage collection is done, either by the barangay or by private companies. One private company charges individual households P500 monthly for 2-3 days pick-up per week. If areas have an MRF (Material Recovery Facility), a company will charge by waste volume. The bad news is that private companies are not strict at all about waste segregation.
Do the CENRO or public service offices or sections of local governments monitor both public/ government and private collection trucks, their policy, and their disposal system, schedules, routes, and destinations? We certainly hope so.
City and barangay waste management offices should also include daily checks and maintenance of garbage collection trucks. The breakdown of these trucks or the unavailability of spare parts should never be allowed to disrupt daily garbage collection in designated areas.
A regular, updated, and monitored mapping of the routes of garbage collection trucks can also inform the government waste managers if all the communities are adequately and effectively serviced in terms of consistent, daily waste collection schedules.
In San Francisco, Camotes, the purok system where a number of households are grouped to take care of their community needs, including cleanliness, waste management, and sanitation, has proven to be very effective through the years. Led by Sir Al Arquillano, and with multi-level, multi-sectoral collaboration, coordination, and monitoring, from bottom to top and top to bottom, San Fran has won international awards for eco-protection and even, successful disaster management. Incentives for effective purok governance have added to the active and diligent participation of all community residents!
Can the purok system of governance be adopted in urban areas like Cebu, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu? If community residents group themselves to manage wet and other types of garbage, and other concerns, like cleanliness, sanitation and disaster management, and are well-coordinated, supported, and monitored by local government, so much waste dividend can result and the savings from waste collection and disposal can be given back to the residents as incentives!
Community waste management system can include public and private companies, offices, churches, schools, and other institutions collaborating together to manage their micro-level waste generation, collection, and disposal!
Perhaps clean green, healthy, livable communities and cities may emerge?
‘Can the purok system of governance be adopted in urban areas like Cebu, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu?’