Solid Waste Crisis (ISSUE/PROBLEM)
- In the study of Boletim Goiano Geografia (2016), it is stated that the
accumulation of solid waste in public spaces generating a dirty
landscape, negative effects on drainage, and loss of population
welfare.
- The increase in solid waste in Chiclayo's public spaces is related to
deficient management by the institutions in charge and the
population's low level of environmental education (Zulia, 2021).
Inefficient Solid Waste Management (CAUSE)
- Solid waste management (SWM) is a technical-administrative process
that encompasses planning, design, implementation, and evaluation to
ensure proper waste management. Currently, 2.01 billion t/year of
waste is generated worldwide, of which 33% is improperly
managed (Environmental Research Letter, 2020)
- Rev Brasil Gestão Urbana (2019) said that in Peru, solid waste
management (SWM) is the responsibility of municipalities (districts or
provinces). These local governments are responsible for providing
support in minimization, generation, collection, transfer, use, and final
disposal in collaboration with the population and the central
government. However, the limiting factor for most local governments is
the lack of adequate infrastructure and scarcity of financial resources
for solid waste management (National Institute of Urban Affairs, 2020).
IMPACTS
1. Water Contamination: Uncollected and improperly disposed waste
often clogs drainage systems and is washed into rivers, canals, and
other waterways, polluting major bodies of water and increasing the
risk of water-borne diseases.
2. Flood Risk: Clogged drainage inlets and canals, filled with solid waste,
directly contribute to the frequency and intensity of flooding during
heavy rains and typhoons, increasing the risk of property damage and
loss of life.
3. Landfill Hazard: Historically, the region has had issues with overfilled
dumpsites (like the former Irisan dumpsite or the exceeded capacity of
Alno in La Trinidad), which pose the risk of trash slides and massive
environmental contamination—a major disaster scenario that SWM
must prevent.
4. Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Biodegradable waste that is improperly
dumped or left to decompose in anaerobic conditions (without oxygen)
releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas, contributing to climate
change.
MITIGATIONS
Low compliance with waste segregation, untimely dumping, and
high per capita waste generation (behavioral/cultural).
Enhanced Social Marketing & Enforcement: Implement a ""Bantay Basura""
(Waste Watch) program with clear, visible penalties and incentives for proper
segregation. Conduct continuous, targeted Information, Education, and
Communication (IEC) campaigns to clarify the segregation of
recyclables/residuals.
Waste of recyclable materials (lost economic value) and over-
reliance on external resources for waste disposal (hauling fees).
Maximize Material Recovery and Circular Economy: Fully operationalize
barangay Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) as resource recovery centers.
Introduce plastic recycling equipment (like the Provincial Government's
plastic chair molds) and establish a market-based system where waste
pickers or cooperatives can sell recovered materials profitably.
Contamination of rivers and increased flood risk from waste
clogging waterways.
Decentralized Waste Treatment and Buffer Zones: Promote community-level
composting of biodegradable waste to reduce the volume entering the
collection stream. Strictly enforce no-dumping zones along rivers and canals,
backed by continuous clean-up drives and installation of gross pollutant traps
at vulnerable drainage points.
Financial unsustainability of the SWM system due to high hauling
costs and lack of sanitary landfill.
Integrated Waste-to-Energy (WTE) Feasibility: Conduct a comprehensive
feasibility study for a cluster-based (BLISTT) Waste-to-Energy (WTE) facility
or a regional sanitary landfill, focusing on generating Refuse-Derived Fuel
(RDF) from residuals. This shifts the financial burden from disposal cost to
energy revenue.
ASSESSING STRATEGIC SOLUTIONS TO ENHANCE SOLID WASTE
COMPLIANCE AND DIVERSION IN BARANGAY BALILI, LA TRINIDAD,
BENGUET.
GENERAL OBJECTIVES
- to establish a sustainable and highly compliant municipal solid waste
management system in the area by enforcing source segregation,
maximizing resource recovery through MRFs, and mitigating environmental
risks associated with improper disposal.
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
To reduce instances of untimely waste disposal and illegal dumping at
designated collection points through community monitoring and the
implementation of a functional municipal citation system
To increase the province's waste diversion rate (through reuse,
recycling, and composting) from the current baseline to 50% of total
generated waste within two years, maximizing the revenue generation
potential of Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs).
To mitigate the risk of flooding and water contamination by clearing
major urban drainage systems and river tributaries of solid waste and
establishing permanent waste traps within the next wet season.