BAGUIO CITY – Biodegradable wastes such as leftover food and animal excrements will not be collected by the city’s Solid Waste Management Division (SWMD) as these should be composted and managed in the household level or in the barangay.
General Services officer Eugene Buyuccan said the city’s Environmental Code and the country’s Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 provides that biodegradable wastes shall be the sole responsibility of the household or the barangay.
Buyuccan reminded the public to adhere to the campaign of the city government to reduce waste production by reusing and recycling non-biodegradables as well as composting for biodegradables.
He said the SWMD only collects properly segregated biodegradable wastes from the public market but not from the households since the city’s Environment Recycling System (ERS) machines acquired for P128 million in 2010 were already decommissioned last year after reaching its maximum operability.
“Households and business owners should manage their food waste and other biodegradables within their premises to avoid leachate which may compromise our clean and green campaign,” he said.
He hopes that segregation of wastes at source will become the norm in the city to also reduce the amount of waste being dealt with at the solid waste transfer station in Dontogan which somehow delays the hauling of residuals into an engineered sanitary landfill in Capas, Tarlac.
“We all wanted an efficient residual waste collection but if our residents and visitors are not cooperating by properly segregating their waste, it will affect our efficiency in serving all the 129 barangays of the city,” Buyuccan explained.
He said there are some barangays who fail to educate their constituents on proper waste segregation particularly on dog excrements being left at residual waste collection areas.
“Dog or animal waste are biodegradables and this shall be managed or composted by the owner of the pet within their properties as responsible pet owners. We need self-discipline, if that animal excrement is brought to the transfer station, it will only add to foul odor,” he said.
He reiterated, “when we generate waste, we should be responsible for managing it.”