Philippines: More LGUs opt for waste-to-energy projects

Philippines: More LGUs opt for waste-to-energy projects

More local governments are turning to waste-to-energy projects in disposing
their garbage in a trend environmentalists warned put to naught the efforts
at increasing the more sustainable solid-waste management efforts at waste
segregation.

"There could be hundreds of them now, proposing or accepting tenders from
foreign governments to adapt the waste-to-energy projects," said Aileen G.
Lucero, national coordinator of the Eco Waste Coalition.

Among the localities nearing completion of their projects were Cebu and
Manila, which Lucero said were in their advanced stages of preparation.
"They are in the stage of conducting the study or about to wrap them up, and
they are going into the budgeting process."

In Davao City, allied organizations have banded with the Eco Waste Coalition
to conduct forum with important community and institutional leaders in
schools, organizations and offices and to lobby with councilors "to
reconsider the negative impact of the project", said Bem Cabiza of the
Sustainable Davao Movement.

The coalition was granted a 10-minute privilege speech on Tuesday at the
Sangguniang Panlungsod here to present its views and facts about the
project.

Just like in the case of Tagum City two years ago, which opted for the
project and where the Eco Waste Coalition also admonished against the
project over its use of incineration, already banned under the Clean Air
Act, and the sustainability of the project on meeting the minimum volume
requirement to generate the expected energy output.

Davao City Information Chief Jefry Tupas said, "The city government is open
to all suggestions and positions, and we value all of them, taking into
consideration. The policies of the local government go through the usual
process, including consultations with the public."

"This is an LGU that listens to all but, at the same time, very decisive,"
he added.

Lucero said the increasing number of localities opting to adapt the
waste-to-energy project came after President Duterte mentioned the project
as a likely mode of disposing garbage during his first State of the Nation
Address.

But, she emphasized it was the marketing push of advanced economies to sell
their own less-used incinerators as the source of the sudden spike in the
number of local governments opting to adapt it.

"Many countries in Europe and many cities in the US are facing the problem
of disposing also their incinerators, as they are now less used because of
the fewer churn-out of garbage in their countries or cities," Lucero said.

"They are converging in the developing world, particularly in Southeast
Asia, to sell their incinerators," she added.

In the Philippines, it is Japan and China that are selling the projects. "We
do not even know if the machines are new or already used in their areas."

Unfortunately for these local governments in the Philippines, adapting the
project would also find themselves violating the Clean Air Act,
"specifically on Section 20 on the ban on the use of incinerators".

The waste-to-energy project uses incineration to generate energy from the
burnt waste, she said.

"Right now, we are seeing some lawmakers already proposing the amendment to
the Clean Air Act, especially on removing Section 20," Lucero added.

Cabiza said the minimum requirement for the project was 600 metric tons of
waste. Davao City generates only 500 metric tons daily.

"Worse, this would erase the developing discipline in waste segregation in
the level of the household. Although, there is still much to do after a good
first start back then in the first days of the solid-waste management
program in the city," said Ellen Trazo, president of the Ananda Seva, a
meditation group also engaged in neohumanism and environment concern.

Because of the huge volume requirement of the project, "people would likely
go back to the days when throwing garbage any time was the practice, without
thinking of segregating or sifting through useful items first".

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Link to Original Article:
https://businessmirror.com.ph/more-lgus-opt-for-waste-to-energy-projects/

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com