TABUK CITY, Kalinga – In the just concluded First Quarter Ecological Solid Waste Management (ESWM) Board Meeting, the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) reports that the total load disposal of residual waste in 2021was at 3,386 (4,402 tons).
In his report, Rielle Christian Domatog, Senior Environmental Management Specialist said most of the wastes are biodegradable and are generated from households, commercial establishments and the public markets.
To lessen waste generation and disposal, Domatog said households and commercial establishments including vendors at the public markets should limit their waste. Also, he said barangay officials should also effectively implement the ban on sando bags as packaging material especially now that the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Ordinance No.003, series of 2021 authored by City Councilor Samuel Suma-al was already made and signed.
City Environment and Natural Resources Officer Salud Lammawin emphasized the negative impact of cellophanes and sando bags as packaging material, and therefore barangay officials shall influence business establishments in their area to cease from using this material for food and beverages.
Aware of the looming problem on waste generation here, City Administrator Arnold Tenedero informed that plastic bags, being non-degradable material, largely contributes to waste generation, and considered the reason for clogging of waterways. With its consequences, he encouraged the use of alternative materials and other similar organic packaging materials.
Aside from eliminating rampant use of plastic bags and limiting residual waste that are deposited at the sanitary landfill, the CENRO is also doing waste diversion activities which in 2021 is at 25,490 kg, 8,555 kg of bottles and made 236 kilos of compost.