By Santino Bunachita
PIO Reporter
SKY HALL, SM SEASIDE, Cebu City(April 7, 2022) – Technologies and facilities are available for the City Government to reduce the volume of waste it has to dump in landfills.
This was learned when waste management solutions providers presented their capabilities today, during the second day of the Solid Waste Management Summit here.
Emma Ramas, president of Bio Nutrient Waste Management Inc., said the City Government can save a lot of money if it opt to compost the food waste it collects instead of bringing it to the landfill.
“In third world countries, at least 50 percent of solid waste generated is biodegradable,” she said in her online presentation.
She mentioned the expense the City had to bear when it allocated last year around P400 million in payment for the private hauler that brings the city’s collected garbage to a landfill. The City likewise appropriated P300 million more to augment this system of waste collection and disposal.
Ramas said that if the city can only separately collect its food waste so that the segregated garbage can brought to the right facility, this budget can be greatly reduced.
Bio Nutrient currently operates near the Inayawan landfill a composting facility in a 3,854-square-meter area that can process 60 tons of biodegradable food and market waste per day.
For his part, Takeshi Konishi, senior managing director of Guun Co., Ltd., shared that they are currently operating a waste plastic recycling facility in Tayud, Consolacion that can process 50 to 75 tons of plastic waste per day.
“This represents around one-third of these waste generated from the Metro Cebu area. Based on our research, around 210 to 220 tons of plastic waste are generated in Metro Cebu area per day,” he said.
This represents around one-third of these waste generated from the Metro Cebu area. Based on our research, around 210 to 220 tons of plastic waste are generated in Metro Cebu area per day.
Takeshi Konishi
The facility accepts plastics, paper, cartons, Styrofoam and foam, and fabric. These are processed and converted to fluff fuel to be sold to cement companies.
Konishi said they have already partnered with Mandaue City since 2018. From a pilot of 10 barangays, all of Mandaue City’s 27 barangays now bring their plastic waste to Guun’s facility.
“Cebu City can definitely do the same,” he said.
Guun actually piloted the same facility in Cebu City in 2015 but it was stopped after one year. When it decided to go commercial, Guun chose Consolacion since there was no suitable area in Cebu City.
Meanwhile, Allan Ogoc of Calgreens, another solutions provider, said they proposed a state-of-the-art materials recovery facility (MRF) to the City Government under a public-private partnership scheme.
Phase 1 of their proposal includes testablishing the MRF, bringing in of collection trucks, and putting up of three transfer stations.
Phase 2 of their proposal will include setting up a paper pulping facility, plastic processing facility, and tire and glass recycling facility. #
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