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TRANSCRIPT
Jody Kliffer and Sean Tynan
Report Submitted to the Plaridel Municipal Government
in partial fulfillment of the requirements in PLAN 548H
Philippine Planning Studio Course, University of British Columbia
Recommendations for Solid Waste Management in Plaridel,
Bulacan, The Philippines
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents Pages 1-2
Executive Summary Page 3
Who We Are and Acknowledgements Page 4
Chapter I – Introduction
1.1 - Context Page 5
1.2 - Everything is connected: fuel, food, and waste Pages 5-8
Chapter II – Strategic Communication and Education
2.1 Introduction Pages 9-10
2.2 Existing Level of Education Page 10
2.3 Designing the Message: a Rough Guide Pages 11-13
2.4 Mediums for Communication Page 14
2.5 Strategic Communication: Suggestions for
Municipally Controlled Areas Pages 14-18
2.6 Strategic Communication: Addressing
Backyard Burning Page 18
Chapter III - Waste Reduction, Finance, and Budgeting
3.A.1 Introduction Page 19
3.A.2 Waste Characterization Page 19
3.A.3 Existing System Pages 19-20
3.B.1 ‘Polluter Pays’ Pages 20-21
3.B.2 Revenue Possibilities Under a Unit-Pricing System Pages 21-22
3.B.3 Waste Reduction Page 23
3.C.1 Enforcement in Waste Pricing Page 23
3.C.2 Reducing Plastics Page 24
3.C.3 Municipal Budget Pages 24-25
Chapter IV - Enforcement 4.1 Introduction Page 26
4.2 Current Situation Page 26-27
4.3 Recommendations Pages 27-29
Chapter V - Technical Aspects of Waste Processing, Storage
And Collection
5.A.1 Introduction Pages 30-31
5.A.2 Findings and Observations Pages 31-33
5.A.3 Recommendations for MRF Development Pages 33-35
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5.B.1 Household Storage Pages 35-36
5.B.2 Recommendations: Storage Pages 36-37
5.B.3 Pickup and Transport: Vehicle Technology Pages 37-38
5.B4. Private Sector Involvement in SWM Page 38
5.B.5 Recommendations Pages 39-41
5.B.6 Long-term Municipal Waste Transport
Requirements Page 41-42
Chapter VI - Conclusion Pages 43-44
References Pages 45-46
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Executive Summary
The objective of this paper is to assist the municipality of Plaridel in further developing
its solid waste management system. Plaridel’s short and medium term goals involve
transitioning to a more decentralized solid waste management system and decreasing the
volume of residual waste through materials recovery facilities (MRFs). These goals are
ultimately tied to its vision of transitioning the municipality into an agro-industrial city in
the next few years. This document recommends focusing on a comprehensive, multi-
pronged approach utilizing strategic communication (oriented toward lasting behavioral
change), economic incentives (pricing of waste based on its disposal costs) and
enforcement in order to meet these goals.
The paper recommends, foremost, a renewed public education campaign that emphasizes
a fundamental change in the way Plaridelenos regard waste. Much of the existing
educational material has focused on “how” to segregate or compost, but relatively little
has focused on the question of “why”. The most successful barangays are those that have
committed the most effort to public education, especially through direct dialogue.
Therefore, methods suggested at the barangay level focus on education through door-to-
door discussions. At the municipal level, we recommend greatly renewed visibility of
SWM as a priority, including more visible public bins, information officers in public
places, and an intensification of the IEC with emphasis on why SWM is important
instead of how it can be done.
Economic and regulatory methods of waste reduction are premised on a “polluter pays”
principle. In most cases this idea is more politically palatable than other forms of
regulation as it tends to tax the largest consumers the most. Measures suggested in the
report include the pricing of waste, especially residual waste. Plastic bags are a particular
problem, and this paper recommends that over the medium and long-term, regulatory
measures are taken to tax the distribution of plastic bags and to encourage alternate,
reusable bag-types.
Enforcement does not appear to be a priority in Plaridel. However, enforcement is
fundamental to program success, as it demonstrates political will, increases compliance,
and where financial penalties are involved, provides a source of revenue. We therefore
recommend increasing policing powers at the municipal and barangay levels, and
creating revenue-generating opportunities through fines and ticketing. Such a program
should only begin after the renewed strategic communication and public education
campaign is well underway, or it will likely engender resentment.
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Who We Are
This report was prepared by two members of a Canadian delegation of university students
who visited Plaridel from July 12th
to August 15th
, 2008. As a group, we were granted the
opportunity to act as “volunteer consultants” to the Municipality of Plaridel, tasked with
evaluating and helping further the development of solid waste management (SWM)
policy at the municipal and barangay levels.
Our presence does not imply that Plaridel is failing to do a good job in managing their
solid waste. Indeed, Plaridel is far ahead of most municipalities in Bulacan Province, as
evidenced by their increasingly large budget commitment to SWM, their progress in
sustainably closing the old dumpsite, and the creation of the municipal Materials
Recovery Facility (MRF). However, as outsiders we are well situated to look objectively
at Plaridel’s SWM policies and evaluate them in relation to best practices in other parts of
the Philippines and abroad. We hope that our recommendations will be useful to the
barangays and to the municipality during their transition to an effective, low-cost SWM
system.
Acknowledgements
We wish to thank all those who have so kindly given us their time and vital information.
Firstly, thank you to Mayor Vistan for inviting us to Plaridel; to Mr. Rivero for taking so
much time to help us; and to our translators for providing us with insight and
understanding. Thank you also to Father Dennis and St. James Parish for hosting and
feeding us. Of course, we could not have completed any research without those who
allowed us to interview them: municipal staff, Barangay Captains, and key informants too
numerous to name. Finally, thank you to Dr. Nora Angeles, who organized this project,
provided valuable insight and direction, and had the vision to bring us together.
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Chapter I: Introduction
1.1 Context
The past couple of decades have seen a significant rise in environmental awareness in
numerous communities from around the world. Local, regional and federal governments
have joined the global sustainability discourse in addressing their environmental concerns
as the global ecosystem steadily edges toward a state of irreversible catastrophe. The
municipal government of Plaridel, Bulacan, is one among many communities that has
decided to take an active stance in mitigating their own impact on the environment. More
than any other municipality in the province of Bulacan, Plaridel has made strong efforts
towards building a more sustainable society.
One such measure has been the creation of the municipal Materials Recovery Facility
(MRF). This facility is responsible for the composting of municipal bio-waste into
organic fertilizer, which is then sold at a subsidized rate to local farmers. The
municipality has already begun an ambitious program that will include the household
pickup of biodegradable waste from the entire community and deliver it to either the
municipal or a barangay MRF before the start of 2009. This is a commendable goal and a
big step for the community in advancing their level of sustainable practices.
As part of this plan, the town has begun the sanitary closure of the current municipal
dumpsite (or “old dumpsite”, as it will be referred to in this report), set to be closed by
the early part of 2009. At such a time, each barangay will be responsible for its own
waste collection. The municipality, however, has expressed concern that at the current
rate of preparation, very few of the 19 barangays in Plaridel will be able to manage their
own solid waste by late December.1
We begin this document with an outline of the key concepts which underlie the report
and many of our recommendations.
1.2 Everything is Connected: Fuel, Food, and Waste
Filipinos are well aware of the increasingly prominent garbage problem in their country.
As a result of various major events, such as the closure of several dumpsites near Metro
Manila in recent years and the garbage-slide in Payatas in 1992, attention to waste
management issues has increased.
The problem of waste is also tied to the global fuel and food crises. Because chemical
fertilizers are petroleum by-products, the price of such fertilizers will continue to increase
in tandem with soaring oil prices. The clear need for fertilizers made from food waste,
which is taken to landfills in most urban areas, has been outlined by the national
government under R.A. 9003.
It is important to note that the food and fuel crises are also intimately linked to the global
free-market, consumerist economy. Within this system, the flow of waste is seen in very
simple terms: production consumption disposal. For example, let us look at the cost
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of two Duracell batteries selling for 250 pesos.1 These batteries may be purchased from
Waltermart and taken home, placed in a radio, and used for one month. When the
batteries are empty, they become waste and are thrown in the garbage. The waste is taken
to the dumpsite for disposal and the problem is assumed to be solved. In reality, however,
the true environmental and social costs of a product are often hidden at point of purchase.
The battery will sit indefinitely in a landfill while gradually leeching toxins (like
mercury) into the groundwater; water which could later be used for farming and thus
potentially cause damage to human health. But these costs are invisible in the market
price of the battery at point of sale. By contrast, rechargeable batteries could be used
many times, and the materials happen to be much more profitable to recycle. If market
prices reflected all of the costs (and benefits) of a product, rechargeable batteries would
be cheaper than non-rechargeable batteries. As it is now, however, non-rechargeable
batteries are cheaper.
Furthermore, the relationship between the products we consume and the fuel invested in
their production, consumption and disposal is often unmentioned in environmental
assessments. The fuel used in mining the metal for the battery given in the example above
is absent in its market price. Likewise, the oil needed in creating the chemicals, in
transporting the battery from China to Plaridel; in a Plarideleno’s tricycle ride to
Waltermart to purchase the battery- all of this oil is indefinitely lost as an energy source
and becomes an immediate environmental hazard.
Plaridel’s stated goal vis-a-vis its waste management policies is to divert 80-90% of
waste from the dumpsite to the MRF.2 To achieve this, a better model to conceptualize
waste flows in society and address the total ecological impacts of the products we
consume is much needed. As we near the end of peak oil supply, the importance of an
economy focused on recycling, composting and reuse, instead of simple disposal, is
categorically imperative. Plaridel, the Philippines, and indeed the world, will all
eventually be forced to move from an economy of waste to an economy of zero waste:
Production Consumption Recycling/Composting Production. In other words, the
world will have to move from a model of one-directional consumption flows, to a model
characterized by circularity (Figure 1).
Figure 1: Circular Waste Flows
Although this model serves to illustrate the planned policy transition at a broad level, it
provides little instruction for Plaridel and includes none of the stakeholders. A more
1 This is a hypothetical price.
Production
Consumption
(waste generation)
Recycling/
Composting
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comprehensive model that incorporates the different stakeholders and waste flow patterns
in society, such as the one offered in Figure 2, would be more helpful in elucidating how
materials flow through the system.
Figure 2: Current Waste Flows in Plaridel
Business
Production
Rural Household
Business
Urban Household
Waste Generation
Junkshops
Backyard
disposal
and composting
Barangay
Municipal
Collection & Transport
Municipal MRF
Recycling/Composting
Waste Pickers
Plaridel Dumpsite
Final Disposal
The categories in the top row of Figure 2 refer to the stages of waste flow. The green
arrows refer to recycled or reused products, while black arrows refer to the most common
direction in which waste moves to subsequent stages.
By contrast, Figure 3 (below) represents the intended medium and long-term waste flows
in Plaridel. In this version, all waste first moves from households and businesses, to the
barangays, and then to the barangay MRFs. Much of it directly reenters the
recycling/composting stream, while some moves to the municipal MRF. Less than 10%
of the waste will become residual waste at the planned sanitary landfill. One challenge
with this model is where waste pickers and junkshop owners will fit, if at all, as the
change in the system will affect their livelihoods.
Figure 3: Future Waste Flows in Plaridel
Business
Production
Rural Household
Urban Households
& Businesses
Waste Generation
waste pickers?
Junkshops
Barangay
Collection & Transport
Waste-Pickers?
Barangay MRF Municipal MRF
Recycling/Composting
Sanitary Landfill
Final Disposal
Around
60%
residual
Recycling,
Reuse, Reclamation
Residual Waste
<10%
Recycling,
Reuse, Reclamation
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It is the goal of the current municipal government of Plaridel to move from a waste flow
pattern depicted in Figure 2, to one that better resembles the model in Figure 3. The
purpose of this report is to offer recommendations toward this end. As such, the analysis
and recommendations offered here are made to help in preparing for the dumpsite
closure, to enhance the current system of SWM services, and to increase public
participation with segregation-at-source.
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Chapter II: Strategic Communication and Public Education
2.1 Introduction
This chapter deals with how value, attitudinal and behavioral change can occur through
public education using strategic public communication, which remains as one of the key
pillars for the success of SWM and its key components, particularly at-source
segregation.
Separation-at-source is one of the most important components of any SWM program. In
order to work properly, segregation-at-source requires every household to participate;
changing their waste disposal habits that have been practiced for a lifetime. Furthermore,
if public support for SWM is lacking, politicians (such as barangay officials) fear the loss
of votes, which constrains action and innovation. Where negative or indifferent attitudes
are present, behavioral changes will be harder to stimulate. The goal of public education
in SWM must therefore be to change not only the behavior itself, but also the attitudes
and values which govern that behavior. This requires that the Municipality and barangays
engage in effective “strategic communication”, which is defined loosely as
communication designed to alter behavior.
Action (behavior) of the public to support SWM, such as separation-at-source, depends
on two factors: intention and barriers.3
Intention is affected by underlying environmental attitudes, moral attitudes, sense
of community/concern for neighbors in other barangays, and understanding of the
process of proper SWM.
Barriers which may nullify intention include required time, effort, or
inconvenience; misinformed perceptions about time, effort or inconvenience,
perceived lack of effectiveness of individual action, forgetfulness, or ignorance.
Plaridel’s Strategic Communication Campaign must change the intentions and eliminate
the barriers identified above. This campaign must bring about a paradigmatic shift in the
way people view their relationship to waste, and to carefully examine how society’s
values regarding waste serve or hinder the public good. The end-goal in this scenario is to
create a culture of waste-management.4 By this we mean that cultural values and beliefs,
and the resulting actions and behaviors they engender, should eventually become self-
enforcing. For example, in the same way wearing dirty shoes into another’s home would
be considered inconsiderate and rude, so should littering on the street. Improper waste
management should not only be known cognitively as incorrect, but instinctively felt as a
wrongful action. Over the long run, this would result in waste management becoming
self-policing.
In Canada, for example, littering is now so ingrained into national consciousness as a
wrongful action, that enforcement is unnecessary; people police each other. If a child
throws a piece of garbage on the street, there is a good chance that his/her friend will be
the first person to tell him/her that it is wrong to do so. Police are virtually no longer
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Box 1: Strategic Communication must be
Comprehensive
In one barangay, repeated efforts at encouraging
segregation-at-source have worked only briefly. The
major education strategy was discussion at Barangay
Hall meetings and rewards, such as cans of tuna for
citizens who segregate their waste. Within a few
weeks, however, citizens reverted to their original
behavior. We believe this to have resulted from two
problems. The first was the focus on rewards over
changes in attitude. While rewards can be an effective
tool, in many cases when the reward stops the
behavior reverts back to its old form.
The second issue was a lack of penalties, either social
(self-policing), economic, or legal.
needed for this particular duty. To achieve this level of cultural awareness in Canada
required an intense and sustained public education campaign, just as it will require in
Plaridel. The objective, however, should not only be seen as sharing facts or knowledge,
but as communication designed to fundamentally alter the community’s attitude and
behavior.
This section will review some of the measures taken by the municipality and various
barangays to encourage the community to practice proper waste segregation and disposal.
We will identify some of the main community members who have been or could be
effective in reaching different elements of the population. We will then offer some
recommendations for further activities that could entice a larger audience to comply with
extant solid waste disposal ordinances.
2.2 Existing Level of Education
If public education around SWM were to be assessed based only on the total number of
people aware that a program exists, there is little doubt that the system would score well.
Most citizens we spoke to, demonstrated some level of awareness regarding the
municipality’s SWM campaign, many stating that they had received the educational
pamphlets distributed by the government.
However, this knowledge has not produced lasting behavioral change for the majority of
the population. Garbage is still often disposed of informally (in streams, fields, streets,
etc.); segregation at source is low in most areas; and the burning of waste continues to be
a significant problem. This implies that Plaridelenos are not internalizing the behavioral
changes advocated by the IEC campaigning. That is, the education program has spread
the knowledge of waste management issues, but has failed to produce informed
behavioral change.
Unfortunately, without detailed
surveys of public awareness, the level
of knowledge within the public and
the effectiveness of the IEC campaign
cannot be accurately measured.
There are already a variety of methods
for public education already employed
in Plaridel, such as:
Community cleanups
Teachers Conferences and
parent-teacher Conferences
IEC Pamphlets
Waste Collectors available to
answer questions from public
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Without extensive research, the ability to target appropriate audiences with educational
messages and adequately gauge their effectiveness is extremely limited. Our first
recommendation is therefore to better understand the base-characteristics of existing
levels of public awareness. This could be accomplished through a qualitative survey,
ideally through individual or group interviews.
2.3 Designing the Message: a Rough Guide
Experience in a variety of countries has shown that the two most important questions for
residents are:
Where has it been (successfully) done?
What will it cost me/us?5
Before identifying other pertinent needs in implementing a new program, these questions
must be addressed. Although answering these questions may be considered of primary
importance, there are other elements to message design that also need to be given close
consideration.
Successful Message Design programs involve a variety of factors, including:6
1) The goal of the message. That is, whether it is designed to raise awareness,
educate the public or provide instructional information.
2) The content of the message to be conveyed. Will it be a change in service
delivery? Penalties or rewards for segregating at source?
3) The target group. To be effective, campaigns must reach and be tailored to the
specific needs a variety of groups, including children, women, religious groups,
NGOs, and different income brackets (especially the poor).
4) The timing for release of information is particularly important. If there is too
much of a gap between education and actual changes in service or infrastructure,
people will forget. For example, if a new pickup day for bio-waste is planned, it
should not be announced six months in advance. One or two weeks would be
sufficient.
5) The stakeholders who are involved in the campaign (especially those doing the
outreach) must be accounted for.
6) The specific methods to be employed. Examples will be given below.
In most cases, general awareness does not actually provide lasting change in behavior.
Instead, the information most likely to have an impact is that which is evaluated
consciously by the target group.7 Most often this type of evaluation occurs through open
dialogue, such as in door-to-door campaigns where people are engaged discursively in
pertinent issues.
One further recommendation is to take a holistic approach in incorporating the roles and
responsibilities of all actors from diverse elements of the community, including
households, small enterprises, waste pickers, private entrepreneurs, universities,
politicians, and barangays. Viewing a problem from a multi-stakeholder perspective can
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Box 2: Best Practices: Leading by Example
“The most powerful message is given
when the leaders are committed to setting
an example: depositing refuse in
containers; cleansing public places;
participating in community clean-ups;
keeping the street in front of their
dwellings clean and litter free; paying their
collection bills on time and without
complaint, etc. In Cebu city, local leaders
pay visits to waste collectors and to
volunteers who form the inspection
committee for dump sites.”
Source: Muller and Hoffman (2001).
produce a more comprehensive solution that enhances the inclusivity of its approach.
Failure to do so, on the other hand, could result in the accidental isolation of a particular
sector of society and compromise the effectiveness of the overall program.
We also recommend that Plaridel seek a specialist in Strategic Communication. In
attending a conference on Strategic Communication at Atteneo University, we were told
that students graduating from the Department of Communication Studies have a
community service component to their final year of study. We feel this is a good
opportunity for the Municipality of Plaridel to access this knowledge base and seek their
professional assistance (unpaid or paid, depending on budget availability). The
Department of Communication at Ateneo University may offer credits to students for
helping the Municipality of Plaridel create an effective message design for their SWM
public information campaign. Such possibilities should be explored.
Who is an Educator?
When we think of educators, we often envision those with official designations, like
teachers, principals, professors and college deans. However, everybody in society plays
the role of an educator at times. Recognizing who the more influential informal (or non-
conventional) educators are, and the role they play in community education, is essential
for an effective IEC campaign. A list of such educators might include Barangay Hall
staff, Barangay Tanod, street sweepers, and Mother Leaders, whose door-to-door work
provides perfect opportunities for segregation-at-source education), religious leaders, and
municipal employees (waste collectors, police, parents, etc).
Politicians are important opinion leaders in society and therefore carry a high degree of
influence in their communities. When behavioral change is lobbied by a government for
its citizens, the active members of the government should be the first to demonstrate that
change. This includes municipal areas such as the Municipal Hall, which in the case of
SWM, should have the most visible public demonstration projects that clearly advertise
proper separation-at-source practices. Currently the Municipal Hall has clearly
demarcated bins, but we observed that segregation there is seldom practiced. Leadership,
however, is best done through example (see Box 2).
Above all we must educate the official educators.
They must be effective communicators and have
sufficient knowledge of the issues they are
discussing. This implies the need for workshops
and training, including meetings to elucidate the
best strategies and define the precise objectives.
While a municipal representative would have to
devote time for training, the responsibility for
door-to-door education would fall to the
barangay or barangay representatives. For
example, at the barangay level we would
recommend the organization of conferences and
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Box 3: Case Study in Batangas Batangas began One Awareness Campaign
with the stated goal of “stimulating and
socializing the idea of long-term SWM
planning”. The strategy used was an inter-
Barangay competition.
Criteria used were:
Formation of an ISWM committee.
Preparation of a plan for SWM.
Implementing the SWM plan.
The third criterion was rated the most highly.
Source: Anschutz and Lapid, (2004).
workshops for barangay officials, Inter-barangay Tanod, Inter-barangay Mother Leaders,
and door-to-door Health Workers.
Likewise, at the municipal level we would recommend workshops for waste collectors
(who already disseminate such information), religious leaders and municipal employees.
Recommendations for Message Design in Educating the General Public
The public must specifically be convinced that proper waste management will directly
benefit them in many ways.8 This requires education on the many costs to society of
improper waste management, including:
Health impacts, such as lice, attracting rodents and insect vectors
Aesthetic impacts, including foul odors and litter in public spaces
Economic impacts, including:
o fees for street cleaning and community cleanups
o decreased desirability as a place to live, which can depress real estate
prices and increase out-migration from neighborhoods
o loss of productivity due to negative health impacts
o tourism impacts: simply put, a clean city is more attractive than a dirty one
One study indicates a link between perceived recycling/composting facilities and the
level of willingness to segregate-at-source.9 Specifically, the more the public understands
about the available facilities, profitability, and functionality of the MRF, the more likely
it is that they will change their attitudes and behavior. This implies that the municipality
should continue efforts to expand awareness of the MRF.
One method to increase and maintain public awareness is to include progress reports in
local newspapers and in municipal and barangay bulletins. These reports could
summarize each barangays performance to date as part of a regional competition,
awarding points for performance in each predetermined category as set out by the
municipal government. Points could be awarded for such things as:
Functioning MRF
Percentage of total fertilizer used that is organic (one point for every 10%)
Designated space for MRF (fewer points than having a functioning one)
Percentage of total waste that is non-bio (one point per every 10%)
Street cleaning initiatives (point for every group in a barangay each time it cleans
an area of the city)
Awards for best performing barangays
could be given on a monthly or bi-monthly
basis. Awards could be in the form of cash,
honorary certificates, credit toward a
predetermined prize (perhaps each monthly
winner would be awarded 10 points, but the
price of a new dump truck, for example,
would be worth 100 points), etc. By
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periodically publicizing the competition in local news papers (and in the Municipal and
Barangay Halls), the public could be more active participants in making their
communities green. The current awards offered by the municipality for completing an
MRF, although commendable, only involve the leadership of each barangay.
2.4 Best Practices: Mediums for Communication
The following are examples from other developing countries of various ways that SWM
awareness has been successfully raised in the local community:
Competition
- Local TV station produced the best play on environmental sanitation on TV
- Radio song writing contests on the theme of environmental sanitation
Posters
- Posters on buses or collection carts, tricycles and jeepneys
Performances
- Skits (community groups)
- Puppet shows
Box 4: Case Studies in Strategic Communication
In Tingoloy, The Philippines, when compliance with SWM policies was still low after
conducting several public meetings, members of the Municipal Waste Management
Council started a door-to-door campaign to raise awareness of the need for
environmental cleanliness.
Participation can be encouraged by offering different incentive measures. These can
vary from competitions offering prizes (rewards for collection of recyclables, for
example), music festivals, to the strategic use of the media.
In Belo Horizonte, Brazil, an annual waste pickers' carnival parade is held where the
waste pickers create costumes out of recycled waste materials
In Bangalore, India, professional performers put on street theatre in order to raise
awareness among the town's citizens to the need for waste management and their
participation in the household waste collection service
In Sao Paulo, Brazil, the publication of a monthly magazine, special radio and
television programs, as well as samba groups, are used to disseminate information
about the municipality's source-separation program.
Volunteer community health workers, local politicians, or even students who go door-
to-door in the neighborhood to talk about the importance of SWM has proven to be an
effective means of insisting behavioral change
Source: Muller and Hofmann, (2001).
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Photo 1: Waste Heap Outside Public Market
2.5 Strategic Communication: Suggestions for Municipally Controlled Areas
Demonstration is a big part of a comprehensive strategic communications program.
Public employees in publicly owned areas, whether from the municipal, barangay, or
national level, provide excellent spaces for strategic communication. In this section we
explore the feasibility of some of these areas as avenues for communication and learning.
Schools as Avenues for Strategic Communication
SWM is incorporated into several subjects at the elementary and high school levels in
Plaridel (and nationally). In our visits to elementary schools we found very sophisticated
urban gardening programs that rivaled those commonly found in developed countries,
like Canada. Given the strength of such education, the children of these schools could be
a valuable resource in helping further public education. Barangay Poblacion, for example,
staged a march to raise awareness about SWM and segregation-at-source in which school
children were key participants. This march was described to us as being extremely
successful in spreading knowledge and mobilizing support.10
Another interesting measure taken in Plaridel within the Department of Education
involved a day where teachers were encouraged to avoid using plastic bags to bring their
lunch to work. For each day this program was implemented, 261 bags were saved (one
for each employee). Over a year, this many bags would weigh around 300 kilograms.
Even with this many staff members, public areas undertaking such programs could
directly impact the bags entering the waste stream. Such programs should be applied to
other municipal areas.
A third measure being taken is a joint initiative between MENRO and the Department of
Education. They are planning to have school children paint SWM-related murals on the
walls at the municipal MRF. This is another good method for raising awareness. As such,
we would recommend involving children in more aspects of community-wide campaigns
on environmental issues. For example, holding more school competitions at the
municipal level around themes of environmental sustainability would help engage more
youth in the process of becoming a greener society. Municipal competitions could
include playwriting contests on the theme of urban sanitation, or a creative design contest
for creating a municipal SWM emblem or logo that would be used as the official SWM
symbol for Plaridel. Expanding these interfaces between SWM and public education is
one of the most important measures which can be taken, as it will ensure that future
generations will have a better understanding of SWM.
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The Public Market: Findings and Observations
The Plaridel Public Market is one space over which the municipality can exert great
influence. The space is unique in its ability to serve two distinct functions in promoting
sustainable solid waste practices: first as a space for experimentation with innovative
waste reduction techniques. Second, and perhaps more importantly, it is a visible place
for public demonstration of segregation-at-source.
Currently the pile of bio-waste outside the market (Photo 1) not only looks disorderly, but
clearly hurts the public demonstration of proper waste disposal by perpetuating the
message that waste is something which can be left on the sidewalk. Although we are
cognizant that the public market has a restricted budget, it should be regarded as an
extremely important space for public education and strategic communication projects.
Recommendations for the Public Market
Clearly segregated bins would be a minimal first step to promote proper public
demonstration. However, a previous project of this type failed, according to the Market
Master, because people did not segregate their waste inside the market.11
The segregated
bins were removed shortly thereafter.
Important changes could include increased visibility of segregated bins, ideally color-
coded, signed in English and Tagalog, and with plasticized or waxed examples of what
can go inside the bins placed overtop of each. As described above, the timing of such
measures is extremely important. Their release should coincide with a larger, more
comprehensive public education campaign. A temporary information officer should be
stationed near the bins to inform people as to the correct methods of segregation, and why
it is important. This could also be a part of the larger IEC campaign.
Particular attention to special bio-degradable bin design is also important. The current
pile-approach to SWM at the market is visually unpleasant, and is not conducive to
attracting consumers to the market. As mentioned, the aesthetically unpleasing aspect of
open waste disposal in the market also reinforces negative associations attributed to
garbage. This may contribute to the negative
attitudes of citizens regarding barangay MRFs, as
it may be assumed that these spaces will be
characterized by equally offensive sights, odors
and pests. An air-tight bin for bio-waste that
affectively cuts smells and pests (including
insects) seems necessary for making the public
market a nicer place.
Photo 1: Waste Heap Outside the Public
Market
18
In selecting a bin-type several factors are important:
What is the expected volume of garbage between pickups?
What space/s are available for the bin?
What is the type of waste? (Does it smell? Does it attract pests?)
What other benefits would this bin-type or design provide? (Especially
educational)
Which bin is most cost-effective, given the other objectives?
Given the volume of waste, bio-bins could come in several forms, but would have to be
either numerous or large enough to hold a sufficient volume of garbage. One large-
volume, low-cost container used in many developing countries is a steel drum, which
generally has a capacity of 200 liters. Since the biodegradable waste area behind the
market is covered, rust problems with a steel drum should be minimal, especially if bags
are placed within the bins.
The low cost of these bins would be advantageous as well, and these are readily
available. One problem with such drums is the weight: a full bin could seriously injure
municipal staff in charge of loading the waste onto a truck. Unloading the bins with a
shovel would be labor intensive and require the truck to wait for long periods of time.
Conversely, plastic bins would be lighter, but more expensive as it may require custom
designing/molding and would be more easily stolen.
A third possibility would be to provide some sort of a trailer-based system where bins are
permanently placed on a trailer which can be towed by a garbage truck or motorcycle.
This would have the added benefit of allowing the trailer to be filled during the day and
taken away at night to help reduce the number of trucks in daily traffic jams.12
We recommend that the public market, GSO, and MENRO be tasked with finding a
suitable, low-cost bin design which, ideally, would be made locally and functional for the
problems described above.
One suggestion from a Plarideleno was to re-institute paper bags for food purchased at
the public market.13
These bags could be clearly labeled as recyclable, but would also be
biodegradable. This would not only provide waste-savings for all the products sold
through the public market, but it could also be a project that stimulates awareness of the
importance of SWM to the municipality. We strongly recommend that the market explore
the costs which would be involved in such a program. Symbols on such packaging should
be in line with the branding of the market as a “green” place.
Solid Waste Management in the Municipal Hall
Through the course of several visits to the Municipal Hall, we were able to informally
monitor the waste disposal habits of city employees. We found that the municipal staff is
generally not segregating their garbage. This draws into question the municipality’s
commitment to waste segregation if they are failing to uphold their own policies.
However, this also provides an excellent opportunity. The municipality provides an
19
excellent test-bed for innovative projects. City employees are capable, for example, of
being survey respondents, of fine-tuning suggested policies, and most importantly, of
being the source of innovative ideas.
Even projects that do not work could involve documenting the reasons why they were not
successful. Do pledges for SWM work? For how long? Why do they fail? How
noticeable is the difference between a green and a brown garbage bin? Does it clearly
communicate the idea of segregation for someone who is busy at work? What arguments
do municipal staff find most persuasive? A specific experiment to include would be
measures such as a day to bring food only in compostable or recyclable materials, such as
bamboo or coconut fiber bags, or banana leaves for wrapping. Exploring the ways in
which the Municipal Hall can be made a zero waste facility could provide excellent
information for policy-making.
Solid Waste Management in Barangay Halls
Barangay Halls should also be demonstration areas for SWM programs. Many of the
halls we visited had segregated bins, but segregation was not being followed and they
were filled with mixed waste. The Barangay Halls should be the first point of strategic
communication, as a space for both media (posters) and demonstrative projects, such as
clearly segregated bins. Enforcement should begin with the Barangay Hall employees.
For example, those who are caught not segregating properly would be forced to collect
garbage off the street for thirty minutes, or donate 30 pesos to the treasury, etc. This
would force political leaders to be involved in the spaces they control, which builds faith
in the system and is essential for segregation to work well in the community.
2.6 Strategic Communication: Addressing Backyard Burning
The burning of waste continues to be an issue of concern within the municipality. It is a
common sight to see waste being burned in backyards throughout Plaridel, and
sometimes this includes the burning of plastics. From what we were able to deduce from
our time in Plaridel, this activity goes entirely unpunished. There are no incentives for
people to cease burning their waste that are commonly practiced.
The primary objective of a public education of SWM is to alter behavior of the citizens to
comply with SWM. This requires several sub-objectives, including raising awareness of
the importance of recycling, the costs of the program, and methods of reducing waste and
helping SWM.
It is important to emphasize the following:
Health consequences, including lung-cancer, high rates of child-asthma, etc. This
information would be best provided by mother leaders and door-to-door health
checkups
The benefits of using the leaves as compost for the mango trees;
20
The need for leaves in municipal MRF, which will make superior organic
fertilizer and which helps to create jobs at the Municipal and Barangay level;
This should be non-conflicting so as not to create resentment. Further steps should
include, in stages:
A special effort for pickup of leaves, including door-to-door visits and requests
for piles of leaves in the backyard.
A restatement of the penalties followed closely by actual enforcement by PNP and
by Tanods, including threats of fines.
And, finally, actual fines, especially to repeat violators.
Above all, the holistic, comprehensive, multi-pronged approaches to strategic
communication are most likely to be effective.
21
Chapter III: Waste Reduction and Financial Incentives
3.A Waste Reduction through Waste Pricing: An Introduction
As described in the previous chapter, changing the behavior of Plaridelenos towards
SWM is extremely challenging and requires a variety of approaches. Top-down
regulation of prices is often politically unpopular and challenging to implement.
However, increasingly government policies are able to implement measures which fall
under the rubric of the “polluter pays” principles. This idea, simply put, is that those who
pollute the most should pay the most. This section of the paper examines financing
possibilities for the SWM program which fall into two overlapping categories: measures
which are meant to change behavior by reducing waste, and measures which are designed
to make the system self-financing under the polluter pays principle.
3.A.1 Waste Characterization
Solid waste in Plaridel falls into three main categories:
biodegradable, recyclable and residual. The composition of
this waste is roughly 60% organic, 15% recyclable and 25%
residual.14
The vast majority of the residual waste (roughly
90%) is composed of plastics, of which plastic bags are the
most common item.15
At junk shops in Plaridel, plastics currently fetch approximately $0.14 per kilo. Although
modest, this is a vital part of the incomes of both junkshop owners and waste pickers. It
also ensures that a much higher amount of plastics will be recycled than if there were no
price awarded for recycling plastic.
Undeniably, recycling plastics is much preferred to disposing of them in landfills. But
recycling only delays the inevitability of plastics ending up in landfill areas. Even plastics
that have been successfully recycled once or twice will end up in a landfill eventually.
This is because plastics cannot truly be recycled, but instead they must be “downcycled”
into a lower grade of plastics. The chemistry of plastics is such that it can be
“downcycled” a maximum of 6 times before it becomes unusable. Plastic bags, however,
are near the bottom rung, and can therefore only be downcycled three times.16
Furthermore, plastics that are soiled or extremely dirty cannot be downcycled at all and
go directly to the landfill, as it is too labor intensive to separate out dirty plastics, clean
and then recycle them. As such, reducing the production and consumption of plastics
should be prioritized over recycling. This section will look at methods to reduce the
volume of residual waste and simultaneously increase separation at source.
3.A.2 Existing System
Under the current system, charges for solid waste management are levied on a flat rate
basis, discriminating only by type of establishment. Businesses, for example, are charged
$730 Php17
a year by the Municipality regardless of amount or type of waste. Houses
22
should be charged $300 Php per dwelling (also without consideration of type of waste),
but in fact pay nothing. Due to public outcry, the government was forced to discontinue
the levy of waste disposal fees on individual households.18
This is an estimated loss of
$6,000,000 Php a year, which is roughly 1.5 times more than the total SWM budget for
the current fiscal year.19
This represents a significant loss of financing in a system that is
currently running on a deficit.
Table 1: 2008 Solid Waste Budget for Plaridel
Column1 Total
Number Charge per
Unit Total Remittances estimated for
2008
Businesses* 2,054 730 1,500,000
Households 20,000 300 0
Fertilizer Sales 555 180 100,000
Fines 0 0 0
total: 1,600,000 (Source: Municipal Budget Officer, Aug 6th. All figures in Filipino pesos.)
(*Note: Number of businesses is based on the amount of remittances and is therefore only an estimate.)
When faced with continued resistance by the populace to pay disposal fees, other
municipalities in the Philippines have found creative ways of building the cost of solid
waste management into municipal taxes. For example, some have incorporated the price
for SWM into other services provided by the municipal government, such as their electric
or energy bills.20
The Municipality of Plaridel could likewise explore the option of
incorporating waste disposal tax into other services provided by the government.
3.B. Alternative Systems: Some Basic Principles
3.B.1 ‘Polluter Pays’
Economic and/or population growth both tend to increase the amount of waste produced
by society. The current city plan for Plaridel expects both the population and economy to
grow over the next 10 years, which will most likely result in an increase in the amount of
waste produced. This should be taken into consideration when planning a pricing strategy
for solid waste management. Such a strategy should prioritize the reduction of non-bio
waste to protect the health and welfare of the people and environment of Plaridel.
There are many SWM strategies practiced around the world that incorporate into their
pricing schemes such factors as type of waste, volume, distance to landfill, frequency of
service, etc. These strategies attempt to internalize the long-term environmental and
health impacts of solid waste disposal into their pricing, while simultaneously
encouraging people to practice sustainable forms of waste disposal, like composting and
recycling.
One method for pricing garbage is to tally the number bags at each house on the days for
non-bio pick-up and issue a monthly bill accordingly. However, this system may be too
burdensome for garbage collectors in Plaridel and thus become ineffective. It would be
more advantageous for the municipality to employ a more time and cost effective system.
23
A second method involves pricing waste based on type. Pricing bio and non-bio waste
differently is the most common and likely the fairest way to price garbage. One study
conducted in Olongapo, the Philippines, found that pricing non-bio waste higher than bio-
waste had the desired result of reducing the overall amount of residual waste being sent
to the dumpsite21
. In this case study, the researchers provided the community with color-
coded bags designated for both bio and non-bio disposal, making the price of disposal for
non-bio waste greater than for bio-waste. Because pick-up in this community was on the
same day, residents had to purchase separate bags for bio and non-bio waste (non-bio
bags being more expensive). In doing this, the city more effectively aligned the cost of
the SWM system with those who pollute the most.
Unlike most municipalities in the Philippines, Plaridel already has a separate pick-up
schedule for bio and non-bio waste. Pricing strategies corresponding to each type of
waste could be applied to help reduce non-bio waste and recapture some of the
operational costs of their SWM system. Although citizens of Plaridel protested the tax
levied per household for waste disposal, they may be more receptive to the idea of each
household paying only for the amount of residual waste they produce.
An effective method to do this is to build the price of non-bio disposal into the price of
mandated garbage bags. The study in Olongapo found that a bag-pricing system resulted
in a “24 percent reduction in the household production of non-recyclable wastes and
generated an annual disposal cost saving of Php 3.1 million” in a municipality of roughly
30,000 people.22
The authors also note an associated savings in welfare gains due to the
reduction of health problems related to the storage, transportation and disposal of residual
waste.23
Considering Plaridelenos are currently receiving free waste management services at their
homes, the municipal government may choose to offer the bio-waste pick-up as a free
service to minimize public outcry and encourage waste segregation. It may also be
advantageous in the outset to allow bio-waste to be disposed of by any available bag
instead of using an official bio-waste bag (or by bins provided by the city). Currently
residents are mostly using plastic bags obtained from stores for both their bio and non-bio
waste. Although the city could be flexible in the beginning with the bio-waste disposal
means used by residents, municipally mandated garbage bags would have to be used for
non-bio waste disposal in order to effectively charge based on the quantity of waste
generated, such as those used in the Olongapo study. It would be via the price of these
non-bio waste bags that the municipality would attempt to influence people’s disposal
habits.
Given that the average business produces more waste than the average household, the city
could also mandate the use of separate bags for the private sector. These bags should cost
more than the non-bio disposal bags intended for household use. This strategy is
consistent with the current pricing strategy which also levies more annually from
businesses for SWM than households.
24
3.B.2 Revenue Possibilities Under a Unit-Pricing System
At $730 Php per year, each business is paying approximately five pesos per bag if we
assume that they are disposing of three bags per week. (This figure is derived only for the
purpose of this example and may or may not have any bearing on reality.) This amount to
156 bags per year based on three bags/week disposal, which would amount to
approximately 93 bags of bio and 63 non-bio (following municipal averages that state
60% of all waste is bio). Assuming each business composts 100% of their bio-waste
properly, and maintain the same amount of non-bio output, at $15 pesos per non-bio
waste bag, the city would generate $954 pesos per business, resulting in roughly
$2,000,000 pesos a year in revenue, a little more than it presently generates. This is based
on a little more than one bag per week of non-bio waste.
At the household level, however, the figures are much different. If the cost of residential
bags were $10Php, for example, and each household produced roughly one bag of non-
bio per week, the city would generate $10,400,000 pesos per year. This figure is based on
the current total of 20,000 households in Plaridel. The total revenue from households and
businesses given in this example would be $12,400,000 pesos – roughly four times the
amount of this year’s entire SWM budget. It should be noted that this figure does not
include revenue generated from other sources, such as fining and fertilizer sales, both of
which would also increase under a new unit-pricing system.
Table 2: Example of Solid Waste Budget for 2009
2
Total number Charge per unit Total # of Units Total Revenue
Businesses 2,054 15 129,402 1,941,030
Households 20,000 10 1,040,000 10,400,000
Fertilizer Sales n/a 180 1,111 200,000
Fines 5,000 100 n/a 500,000
SS total: $ 13,041,030 All figures in Filipino Pesos
In this example table, there are four sources of revenue that provide financing for the
SWM system. The “Unit” in the vertical “Charge per Unit” column would refer to a
mandated garbage bag in the horizontal “Businesses” and “Households” categories, a kilo
of compost in the “Fertilizer Sales” category, and a ticket in the “Fines” category. (The
figures used for the unit pricing of the mandated garbage bags are based only on our
estimations of what we reason to be fair and may not be congruent with the opinion of
City Council.) $100 per fine is a random figure used for reasons of simplicity and is
calculated on the assumption that one in twenty Plaridelenos would receive a fine in 2009
for littering, which may or may not be close to accurate. All figures should be adjusted to
reflect Council’s better judgment.
2This table is based on information given for the city, even though it will be the future
responsibility of the barangays to handle their own waste management. Figures could be
adjusted to reflect the condition of each barangay if need be.
25
Nevertheless, we can see from this simple demonstration that a SWM system based on a
polluter-pays strategy could easily pay for itself. Even if households produced half the
estimated amount of waste given in this analysis, which would be one bag every two
weeks, and paid five pesos per bag as opposed to ten, the total figure would be roughly
$7,000,000. This is still much higher than the amount generated under the current system
and would most likely result in a reduction of non-bio waste. More importantly, however,
it would more justly redistribute the price of waste disposal to those who actually pollute
more.
3.B.3 Waste Reduction
One study conducted in the United States found that unit-pricing of garbage in 21
communities resulted in between 17 and 74 percent waste reduction24
. Without further in-
depth research, it is hard to estimate what the savings would be for the city of Plaridel.
However, it is probable that instituting such a system in Plaridel would bring about
greater waste reduction in a five year period, for example, than if the city were to
continue with its current flat-rate system for the same period of time.
As residual waste decreases, the revenue generated from the unit-pricing system would
also decrease. However, the revenue generated from fertilizer sales would hypothetically
increase due to increased compliance with waste segregation. The goal of this system, as
well as with the stated goal of RA 9003, is “zero-waste”. As such, financing for the SWM
system should eventually be covered entirely by fertilizer sales and revenue generated
from recycling.
A unit-pricing system would have the added bonus of providing more organic materials
for compost, which is also a source of revenue for the current Solid Waste Management
system. This would also benefit farmers as they would have more access to greater
amounts of organic fertilizer, which is cheaper and more environmentally friendly than
conventional industry alternatives. As composting increases, and non-bio waste
decreases, the system should financially balance out. That is, the system will generate
less income in such a scenario, but also require less financing.
3.C. Enforcement Issues
3.C.1 Enforcement in Waste Pricing
In any unit-pricing system, enforcement is an essential element in ensuring participation.
If people feel that compliance is optional, such systems often fail. As such, municipal
police, barangay security officers and perhaps a community level group of “waste patrol”
volunteers would have to be on vigil at all times at the outset of the program to dissuade
illegal dumping and burning. In other municipalities, like Cebu City, ticketing illegal
dumpers doubled as a source of revenue, adding necessary support to the system, which
eventually culminated in a successful reduction of their residual waste output.25
26
If a unit-pricing system for waste disposal were employed in Plaridel, there would also be
a need for garbage inspectors. It is sufficient in some communities to have the garbage
collectors quickly inspect the garbage bags to make sure there has been no non-bio waste
mixed in with the bio-waste. This can be facilitated by making the mandated uniform bio-
waste bags transparent. If there is contamination of the recyclable or compost waste, the
garbage collector should refuse to take it.
Garbage collectors, however, are not authorized to issue fines for improper waste
disposal. The municipality (or barangay) may want to consider the option of deputizing a
garbage inspector to grant him/her the power of issuing financial penalties for non-
compliance. This may be necessary only in the short-term until people’s behavior toward
waste disposal has changed.
3.C.2 Reducing Plastics
The municipality of Plaridel should consider banning or taxing the use of plastic bags in
local stores. Such strategies have been applied in various municipalities around the world
and have successfully reduced the amount of plastic bags used. A 0.15 Euro tax levied on
plastic bags in Ireland, for example, reduced the number of plastic bags in use by 90%.26
Local leader estimate this tax will result in "Over one billion plastic bags… being
removed from circulation while raising funding for future environmentally friendly
initiatives".27
As mentioned, the vast majority of plastics that end up in the municipal landfill in
Plaridel were originally plastic bags. These bags were given for free to consumers by
store owners. That is, the number one contaminant in the current municipal solid waste
problem is provided free of charge every day at hundreds of stores from around the
community.
If the Municipality is to reduce the amount of residual waste in its landfill, which
accounts for 25 percent of all current waste in Plaridel, addressing the issue of plastic
bags seems unavoidable. However, society’s dependence on plastic bags is so profound
that it would take time and good planning to break such an addiction.
The first step in such an initiative would be to provide viable alternatives to plastics.
Fortunately, Plaridel already has active cooperatives that are engaged in making cotton
and/or bamboo bags as livelihood projects. Currently the local bag market could be
considered a lost opportunity seeing as all bags are provided free of charge. With
sufficient government encouragement and subsidies, sustainable bag making projects
could become valuable livelihood activities for many people by creating jobs and income
that would simultaneously reduce waste.
A final consideration that every community in the modern world should be concerned
about is the future of oil. As oil prices continue to rise and we near a global peak in oil
production, prices of petroleum by-products, like fertilizers and plastics, will also
27
increase. Moving communities away from their dependence on these products sooner
rather than later is advisable. The continued excessive use of plastics, especially where
the majority is given for free as shopping bags, is environmentally and financially
unsound.
3.C.3 Municipal Budget
Currently MENRO has only a temporary position and is not a mandated department
within the municipal structure. We strongly feel that MENRO needs to have the status of
a department that will not be subject to the political whims of any future government; that
the success of many of the programs currently underway, or recommended here, would
depend on MENRO’s permanency and leadership to bring them to fruition, regardless of
the municipal administration in power. Therefore, increasing the municipal budget to
include a permanent place for MENRO as a department of the municipal government
should be considered a high priority.
Alternate revenue sources
One idea that was executed in Barangay Pitogo in Metro Manila was to hold a local
beauty pageant to raise money for programs designed to make their barangay cleaner.
Perhaps a similar, but more “Filipino” event would be to organize a singing contest, or a
“Plaridel Idol” contest (a local version of “American Idol”). Such an event could seek the
involvement of leaders from the local arts community to help diversify the range of
“opinion leaders” who are actively involved in creating a greener society. By lending
their credibility and status, these types of community leaders may be able to reach
elements of the population that the municipality would struggle to identify with.
In a “Plaridel Idol” contest, a panel of judges could be selected from a pool of established
musicians who would collectively evaluate amateur performers in front of a live audience
over the course of a week or two. The reason for having this awareness/fundraising event
(“to build a greener community”) would be well publicized with posters3, and would
involve keynote speakers giving short speeches in between acts. The event should be
organized in concert with local NGOs who would have information booths set up onsite
with volunteers ready to inform people about the various ways the public can get
involved to help make Plaridel greener. The event could also include short “citizen
recognition” awards in which a prominent member of the community would honor local
community members (children, elderly, activists, etc.) who have demonstrated
commitment to environmental sustainability4.
A plan detailing what the government will do depending on the amount of money raised
(i.e. “if we raise $100,000, a new truck will be purchased for the city; if we raise
$200,000 we will ________ ,” etc) should be made available at such an event to help
3 The posters could carry the new “green emblem” of Plaridel’s environmental movement. See Chapter II.
4 Medals or badges of honor would be better than cash prizes as the value of the celebrated actions would
be preserved and not promoted for the wrong reasons.
28
people visualize the positive changes planned for the community. This would
concurrently create transparency for the government and increase its credibility.
Ultimately, the re-pricing of waste can serve two important functions. The first is to help
to change the purchasing and SWM behavior of the citizenry. The second is to finance
the system in a way that is equitable to Plaridelenos. Since this system follows the
polluter pays principle, social and economic equity goals are served by the program.
In the case of particularly stubborn citizens, however, who seek ways to avert financial
incentives and penalties, a stronger stance may be required to elicit behavioral changes.
This topic is explored further in the following “Enforcement” chapter.
Chapter IV: Enforcement
29
4.1 Introduction
Although economic incentives and educational programs are imperative in cultivating
sustainable waste management practices, the role of enforcement is also crucial.
Especially at the outset of a SWM program that seeks to alter public behavior, penalties
have to be associated with failure to comply. If the desired course of action (i.e.
segregation-at-source) has to compete with the option to dispose of waste for free at any
time and anywhere without reprisal, success of the program will be extremely difficult. It
is probable that many people will not change their waste disposal habits if the way of
disposing of waste familiar to them is available as a free option. All perceived options
should be associated with relevant benefits and costs.
The goal in developing a new culture of waste management is in
part to recreate the familiar means of waste disposal. For many
people in Vancouver, for example, at home blue-box recycling is
to the customary method of recycling (Photo 2). After several
years of placing their recyclables in a blue-box, it may feel
unfamiliar to them if they were to throw recyclable waste into
the regular waste bin. This is not because people in Vancouver were born with an innate
sense of responsible waste disposal; rather, due to a culture of recycling that emerged at
some point in their life and was internalized. That emergent culture of waste management
has to become the familiar method of disposal for Plaridelenos as well. Building such a
culture would require a more comprehensive understanding of the costs and benefits
resulting from each available course of action of waste disposal methods. That is, their
associated incentives and penalties.
Incentives and penalties are two themes that are integrated throughout this report;
however, neither will be very effective if the law regarding proper disposal methods is
not taken seriously. Current behavior will likely not change unless people are taught that
it is wrong (education), encouraged to do the right thing (incentives), given the means to
do the right thing (convenient, effective infrastructure and services), and shown the
consequences for not doing the right thing (enforcement). This section suggests some
methods of enhancing the enforcement of solid waste management to help cultivate a
culture of waste management.
4.2 Current Situation
Solid waste management in Plaridel has made significant gains in recent years.
Knowledge of proper waste disposal methods has increased in this time due to ambitious
education campaigns and strong government initiative. Segregation-at-source, although
not yet widely practiced, is increasing at a household level every year. The public market
is segregating its waste, as are some public buildings and schools. The rationale of those
who are ambitious at the outset of a city-wide composting program are likely more
altruistic than self-motivated. These pioneers have internalized the values of a sustainable
waste management system without the need of any penalties to dissuade improper
Photo 2: Blue Box
30
disposal; that sustainable SWM serves the greater good of society was self-evident from
the beginning.
However, that is not the case for the majority of the population. Currently waste is still
routinely dumped into streams, informally thrown into open lots, or burned by many
people in the community. Most likely, it will take time for an education campaign to
cause a behavioral shift in this portion of the population. These types of campaigns are
normally considered to be part of a long-term plan. Unfortunately, the emergency of
global environmental deterioration needs urgent attention.
Meeting short-term goals in achieving a sustainable solid waste management system will
have to incorporate a variety of enforcement measures to help promote the right type of
behavior. People must know that there are clear economic, social, environmental and
personal benefits for practicing responsible waste management, as well as clear penalties
for failing to do so. Currently there are no evident consequences for someone choosing to
dispose of garbage illegally. Even though Plaridel already has ordinances that outlaw the
illegal disposing and burning of garbage, it continues without reprisal. On two separate
occasions during our stay in Plaridel, for example, we witnessed waste being burned by a
citizen in the presence of a police officer.28
4.3 Recommendations
To step up enforcement measures will likely require increased financing. The barangay
councils and municipal government should therefore increase their budgets for enhancing
enforcement. This expenditure, however, will most likely be recovered if appropriate
fining accompanies a planned budget increase.
As problems in society reach critical thresholds, the system has to make structural
changes to adapt or combat these emergent issues. Traffic police, for example, were not
necessary until traffic was substantial enough to demand such attention. Border patrols,
narcotics police divisions and traffic police are all similar examples of the creation of
specialty forces to combat perceived threats to the community. Considering the scale of
the current waste problem in Plaridel, perhaps there is a valid need for a “waste patrol”
enforcement unit. The number of waste patrol officers and their exact duties should be
determined by the Municipality, but at the very least they should entail the ability to issue
tickets.
To ensure that funding is in place and that new enforcement policies are effective, one
option for barangay councils and/or the municipal government is to create an
enforcement unit dedicated specifically to waste surveillance. Municipal or barangay
authorities could set a minimum amount of expected monthly revenue generated by
ticketing based on observed levels of non-compliance to waste disposal ordinances. That
expected amount could be adjusted either on a pre-determined schedule (i.e. quarterly), or
as the officers or local officials deem necessary. The anticipated result that people would
eventually cease to disobey the ordinances over time would necessitate a planned
recalculation of the expected minimum income generated from ticketing. As more people
31
Box 5: Excessive Enforcement in
Cebu
“Barangay Captain (George) Rama
and the tanods once joined
‘operation lunis’. The captain said
they were cleaning the front yard of
the residents because the residents
are not cleaning it. He threatened
residents however saying, that they
will burn their houses should he find
the place dirty on the next visit.
From then on the people in the area
started cleaning the place.” (sic) Source: Lapid, D., Munez, L. and Bongon, L.
(1996).
obey municipal SWM ordinances, less revenue should be expected to come from
ticketing. Ticketing officers, however, would be expected to issue enough fines to meet
the minimum expected amount. This is a common practice done in Western countries
with other sorts of frequently violated laws, such as speeding laws (i.e. police are
expected to issue a certain number of speeding tickets every month).
The study conducted in Cebu shows that draconian
enforcement strategies, such as physical threats,
abuse and open public rebuke, had a positive effect
on behavioral change. However, not only is this a
blatant violation of basic human rights, but this type
of enforcement would most likely only breed fear
and loathing, not understanding. The eventual goal of
any public education campaign that seeks to alter
people’s behavior should be peer-to-peer policing
that stems from a deeper understanding of the
inherent values of the campaign. In such a scenario
people refrain from doing the targeted action for fear
of being reprimanded by their peers. Such a scenario
promotes a higher level of compliance,
understanding and cultural growth.
To this end, it would be useful to find creative ways to involve all members of the
community in helping invoke change in people’s waste disposal behavior. Along with
strict penalties, the aforementioned barangay involved a group of community volunteers
that helped make sure people followed the new rules as set out by the barangay council.29
This was a group of community members who believed in the value of a clean
neighborhood and were willing to donate their time toward this end. A similar volunteer
group could be formed at the municipal or barangay level in Plaridel. Their role in the
community could range from watch dogs reporting on improper disposal activities, to
educators helping raise awareness of the benefits of a clean environment.
Another useful method to help monitor unlawful behavior in Plaridel would be to
publicize a “hotline” to which people could anonymously send text messages and report
illegal dumping. Considering the wide use of text messaging as a common and accessible
means of communication for Filipinos, this would grant people of all ages the quick and
easy ability to play a role in keeping their community clean. Concerned community
members could report to authorities when they witness garbage being disposed of
illegally. These messages could include information like where it happened, who did it (if
the person’s identity is known), a photo of the illegal activity (if the person’s cell phone
is equipped with such technology), what kind of garbage was disposed of, etc. If the
campaign were successful, it could even lessen the demand to employ more police to
patrol illegal dumping areas, hence saving on expenses. The hotline number should be
well publicized in visible, public areas, like Barangay Halls, schools, jeepneys, churches,
etc.
32
Social Pressure as an Enforcement Tool
Another available tool for dissuading illegal dumping is using a public “shame and fame”
board. Ideally located at the Barangay Hall (or other highly visible locations), this board
would publicize the names of citizens from that barangay who had committed a positive
or negative act regarding SWM. The “fame” column would be meant to celebrate the
citizens who made voluntary efforts to improve the local environment, whereas the
“shame” column would include citizens who deliberately harmed the local environment.
The purpose of such a scheme is to creatively use measures outside the regular set of
financial awards and penalties to help build compliance. Regardless of the enforcement
method employed, the Municipality should explore possibilities for enhancing the
enforcement of waste disposal ordinances.
Finally, we wish to state that in our opinion, enforcement should be coordinated between
the different levels of government and community groups. The collective responsibility
between different sectors of society could build more trust and compliance than if it were
top-down enforcement only. Networking between groups charged with enforcement
(especially between different barangays) will be fundamental to stopping illegal
dumping. To be successful, enforcement needs to be well-coordinated and well-financed.
Especially at the outset, the SWM system with have to relay the idea that there are
specific penalties assigned for the non-compliance of waste disposal ordinances.
Chapter V: MRF Development: Technical Aspects of Waste Processing, Storage and Collection
33
5.A.1 Introduction
The handling of waste proceeds in a series of stages, beginning with the generation of
waste, followed by the storage, collection, processing/recovery, and its final disposal.
These stages are encapsulated in the waste flow table (See Figure 3). This section of the
paper examines Plaridel’s existing and future policies on the middle stages of waste
handling: storage and collection.
The technical aspects of waste storage and transport can greatly affect the efficiency (and
cost) of service delivery. Without convenient and reliable pickup service, residents are
unlikely to comply with segregation-at-source regulations.30
Although more advanced
equipment can often amount to better service or cleaner storage facilities, it is also often
prohibitively expensive. Careful attention needs to be paid to the types of technology
(and associated costs) employed by the Municipality and barangays. The challenge is to
essentially determine which available option is the best long-term use of limited
resources. In most case this involves applying the principles of appropriate technology.
Appropriate Technology
When we speak about barangay-level SWM, it is important to look at technology that is
best suited to local requirements, not just what is most commonly used in other places.
Dependence on imported machinery and products worsens foreign exchange balances and
do nothing to develop the local economy.31
Furthermore, imported parts to fix machinery
will often become more expensive over the long run as maintenance costs begin to
mount. Ideally, the simplest technologies, made locally, are best. This is true not only for
MRF technology, but also for waste transport technology.
Most automated machinery used in the developed world (such as garbage trucks with
arms designed to pick up garbage cans from the sidewalk and automatically load them
into the truck) is premised on the idea that labor is expensive relative to machinery. This
is reversed in most of the developing world, including Plaridel, where labor is cheap
relative to the cost of machinery. Being modern should not be equated with being
Western. As Text Box 6 indicates, efforts to emulate Western technology could make the
system less efficient.
Despite the importance of appropriate technology selections, the ultimate challenge for
Plaridel remains more social than technical. One NGO that spent five years in partnership
with Batangas City stated that SWM “works most reliably with modest interventions and
an emphasis on participatory processes, rather than hard investment, technology, and
facilities.”32
34
Box 7: The Cost of Equipment In determining financial viability for
SWM equipment,
The sum of the machine cost (C)
needs to be added to the expected
repair costs (R) and the labor costs
involved in running the equipment
(L).
Cost = C + R + L
Box 6: Appropriate Technology and SWM • It used to be quite common for city councils in some developing countries to finance the purchase of
new refuse collection equipment with medium- to long-term loans (up to 30 years) from foreign donor
countries. Taking into account the fact that the average life of waste collection equipment is usually
limited to 5 to 7 years and combined with a poor revenue generating capacity of the municipality (to
service debts, cover operation and management costs and to replace assets), this frequently led to
crippling debts for the municipality, which continued long after the equipment had become obsolete and
was not used any more. • In some countries there has been a policy of standardisation of waste collection fleets, with the
obvious objective to reduce the costs of maintenance and supervision. The result has been that whole
areas have been left out, because the streets were too narrow, unpaved, or sloping. These areas often
happened to be low-income neighbourhoods, located at the urban fringe or in densely populated old city
centres. Leaving these areas unserved (or underserved) subsequently affected environmental and public
health conditions in the whole city. • In one country a sophisticated system was introduced, using a truck with an automatic loading system
to empty plastic bins, which had been placed outside by households. Unfortunately the distributed
plastic bins were far too valuable for the local population and were frequently used for other purposes,
such as washing clothes, bathing children, brewing beer, etc. Thus the whole system collapsed and the
expensive truck had to remain in the
garage, because it could not be used for manual loading. • Political motives have often coloured technology choices. Equipment has been provided by foreign
donor countries under ‘tied aid’ structures, usually favouring capital-intensive
equipment that is not the most appropriate for waste management in many developing countries. For
example this can result in the introduction of compactor trucks in developing countries, while the
density (compactness) of waste there is usually already very high due to
its high organic and dust content. According to some sources, capital-intensive technology is favoured
by many governmental employees, because it provides more opportunities for personal gain.
Source: Klundert and Anschutz, 1999.
5.A.2 Findings and Observations
Replicating the Municipal MRF
Overall, the municipal MRF has been an extremely successful project. Currently it only
accepts biodegradable waste, and uses locally serviceable and available materials and
technology to compost this waste into fertilizer. Although the organic fertilizer is being
sold to farmers at a subsidized price, it is still able to generate a profit large enough to
gradually pay for the cost of establishing the MRF. Furthermore, the location of the MRF
has sufficient space to expand its composting operations and continue to accept a larger
portion of the city’s biodegradable waste.33
Challenges experienced by the MRF include:
Plastic bags used to collect bio-waste being
mixed into non-bio waste, and must be
manually separated
Compost drying uses sun energy, but since
the compost area is uncovered, rain greatly
slows the drying process
35
Box 8: Challenges for
Clustering MRFs Insufficient
land/space for lot
sizes beyond
250sqm.
NIMBYism
No dispute
settlement
mechanism
No incentive for one
barangay to host the
MRF for another
Coconut husks, which require their own grinder, are slow to compost
Challenges in Building and Strengthening Barangay MRFs
The biggest challenge at the municipal level is finding ways to encourage the barangay-
level MRFs to be fully functional by the closure date of the old dumpsite. Under RA
9003, all barangays are expected to have access to their own MRF, either through
individual construction or clustering. MENRO has been directing the barangays to have
their MRFs functioning in all three of their capacities (transfer/collection point, recycling
point, composting point). MENRO has estimated basic MRF construction costs to be
roughly 200,000 pesos for an area around 250sqm. This is the approximate amount of
space deemed necessary for an average-sized barangay to host its own fully-operational
MRF. Smaller barangays will not need as much area as they will have lower volumes of
waste.
Municipal co-financing has involved offering 100,000 pesos to each barangay to help
with MRF construction costs. Although the expected cost is around 200,000 pesos, at
least one barangay claims that the true cost will be higher.34
Despite this subsidy,
limitations on the barangay budget underline the importance of using locally serviceable,
low-cost technology.
Given time restrictions, we were not able to visit every barangay hall to conduct
interviews. However, we selected five urban barangays to represent different stages of
MRF development. The foremost challenge reported by all five barangays was budgetary
constraint. Public information and political opposition were two other frequently cited
challenges. Two barangays stated that before they had even announced plans for MRF
construction or held any public consultation forums, petitions against the establishment of
an MRF were submitted to them.35
In both cases this opposition was claimed to be
political in nature, in as far as organizers of the petition were members of or supporters of
political opposition.
Virtually all barangays stated the following challenges:
Lack of funds (budgetary constraints)
Difficulty finding an available lot of sufficient size for MRF construction
A lack of public awareness regarding the nature of MRFs
A lack of positive public response to the MRFs
Lack of participation in segregating waste at source
Urban vs. Rural Barangays
Rural and urban barangays have different waste characteristics
and thus somewhat different requirements for their MRFs and
collection services.
At their most basic, the MRFs will act as a transfer point for
residual waste. The municipality will continue to collect
residuals indefinitely (if they are properly segregated). In
36
Box 9: Electoral Cycles and MRF Progress One interesting result was that in all Barangays visited
which could be considered compliant or strongly
interested in establishing an MRF were in their first term
of office. Conversely, urban Barangay Captains and
officials in their second term have done little or nothing to
establish MRFs. Their budget woes were due to a conflict
in funding prioritization between the city and barangays:
some officials had simply not invested the required portion
of their development fund into SWM.
densely populated areas, there will likely be sufficient organic waste to profitably create
composting facilities and to sell organic fertilizers. The proof is contained within the
profit margins of the municipal MRF.
Although clustering of MRFs at the barangay level would allow for reduced costs of
construction, finding appropriate lot sizes in urban areas is challenging. (According to
MENRO a full size barangay MRF would require around 250sqm, around the average lot
size. Two large barangays would therefore need much more than 250sqm, and it is
unlikely that such a large lot size is available in urban areas). Furthermore, there are
several disincentives for clustering (see Text Box 8).
Rural barangays face a different
SWM situation than most urban
ones. Throughout our visits to
rural barangays and interviews
with MENRO and barangay
officials, we were repeatedly told
that the volume of garbage
generated per capita in rural areas
is lower than in urban areas. This
is partly because rural areas
generally have lower income, and lower income levels normally result in lower
consumption rates. Finally, because there are many farmers in rural areas, backyard
composting is common, reducing the amount of waste picked up by the city.
5.A.3 Recommendations for MRF Development
Recommendations for the Municipal MRF
As described above, three challenges facing the MRF from a technical perspective are
plastics, rain during the drying process, and means to utilize the coconut husks.
MENRO’s plans for these three challenges are discussed below.
Currently there is an unwritten policy within MENRO to seek means to divert plastics
from the waste stream in a financially sustainable manner.36
One option being explored is
the purchase of a pelletizer or other means of recycling and reselling plastics. MENRO is
currently considering whether these bags should be cleaned at the household level by the
consumer, or at the MRF (by hand or machine). The intended output of the
pelletized/recycled plastics would be used as a strengthening agent in concrete
production.
We wish to point out that this would be effective over the short and medium-term;
however, as Plaridel moves closer to the national “zero waste” policy, and as measures to
encourage alternate bag-types become more common, the need to dispose of plastic bags
in their common form may greatly reduce. It would be useful, therefore, to explore other
avenues for the treatment of plastics.
37
The drying problem could potentially be addressed by a simple retractable roofing
system.37
Such a roof could be made of glass or plastic, and could either be hinged
(greenhouse style) or placed directly onto a four-corner frame. The design should
probably include tarps which could be hung over the sides to block rain, which may fall
at an angle in high winds.
With regards to problem concerning coconut husks, MENRO has already devised a plan.
By January, 2009, the MRF plans to act as a second transfer point and sorting area for
residual wastes intended for the sanitary landfill (SLF). Over the medium-term there are
plans to purchase another machine which would allow the transformation of coconut
husks into usable fibers. Information on the economic feasibility of such an enterprise
was not available at the time of writing; however, such a project has the potential for
local job creation in the form of laborers responsible for the handling and processing of
the husks, and artisans involved in making the fabrics or products to be sold.
Recommendations for Barangay MRFs
The municipality’s offer to temporarily continue picking up biodegradable waste from
the barangay MRFs allows delay in the purchasing of additional tools for composting
purposes. As long as the city collects organic waste, the barangays need not worry about
managing it. However, potential income generated from composting could be the primary
source of revenue from the barangay MRFs, just as it is for the municipal MRF. As such,
delaying their construction represents opportunity cost in the form of lost income to the
barangay MRFs. It is therefore in their interest to build their composting capacity as soon
as possible.
Over the long run, depending on the volume of bio-waste being converted to fertilizer,
economies of scale may dictate the purchase of a machine that grinds the compost.
However, at over 100,000 pesos per machine, a more effective short-term solution is
using basic human labor. In other municipalities, employees using machetes (gulock)
chop organic matter into smaller pieces effectively.38
The only truly inefficient
biodegradable product which cannot be processed by this technique is coconut husks,
which are also relatively slow to grind with automated machinery. It seems clear that for
efficiency’s sake, the municipal MRF should utilize the coconut husks in its planned fiber
creation project, which is projected by MENRO to become a profitable enterprise.
MRF Financing: Recommendations for the Municipal MRF
The Municipality has made clear their plan to close the current municipal dumpsite by
December of 2008. The lack of progress in some barangays towards establishing their
own MRFs by this time indicates a possible need for added incentive. The current
100,000 peso fund offered to barangays that complete construction of their MRF has no
expiry date. This bonus fund will be as available a year from now as it is today. One
possible measure for the Municipality to undertake in effort to build incentive is to
incrementally reduce the amount of available funding over time. This could be
38
accomplished by either establishing a firm deadline, after which access to the funding
will have expired.
A second option would be to gradually decrease the amount of available funding. For
example, reducing funding by 10,000 pesos per month starting in December would
motivate barangays to begin construction as soon as possible. Failure to complete
construction by the stated deadline would result in a reduction of available funding with
each month/week that passes until a predetermined deadline, after which no funding will
be available.
A third option would be to offer incentives to barangays to cluster. As it stands, it is
entirely up to the barangays to negotiate an arrangement. Lack of funds and the “not in
my backyard” mentality or NIMBYism, however, appear to be constraining clustering.
The municipal response could be to offer the 100,000 MRF construction subsidy to any
barangay willing to accept the waste of other barangays. This carries with it the risk of
improper segregation by the barangay not responsible for the processing of waste. A
dispute settlement mechanism would have to be created to avoid such problems. It would
be prudent if the host-barangay would levy a fee commiserate with the degree to which
the other barangay involved in the clustering complies with segregation-at-source.
As a further incentive for barangays to finish their MRFs on schedule, a host barangay in
a clustering (or similar) situation could consider the possibility of charging a tipping fee
based on the volume of waste delivered to their MRF by other barangays. Such a fee
would act as a reward for the barangays that complete their MRFs on schedule and as a
penalty for those who fail to do so. Furthermore, this fee would help the host barangay
recover some of the operational costs involved in hosting the MRF.
5.B Waste Storage and Collection Strategies
5.B.1 Household Storage
Findings
Through various interviews with the GSO, MENRO, a garbage truck driver, and a few
members of the general population, we were able to gain a fair understanding of the
methods of waste storage practiced at the household level.
The primary method of household storage is in plastic shopping bags. This is an
affordable storage medium which is readily available and provides at least one means to
reuse plastic bags before final disposal. However, such bags are not desirable for several
practical reasons. Firstly, as waste-storage containers they have questionable durability.
Secondly, plastic bags are prone to leaking when storing bio-waste. This could add to the
current unattractive prejudice already associated with composting in Plaridel, thus further
complicate public participation. Thirdly, pests, including dogs, birds and rodents, are
known to tear open bags and spread their contents on the streets. This makes it difficult to
leave the bags out in advance for garbage collectors, particularly on bio-waste pickup
39
Photo 2: Hanging of bio-waste in Plaridel neighborhood
days. Finally, if they are used to store bio-waste, they will often be too soiled for
recycling and will become residual waste.
Residents have dealt with some of these problems in two ways. The primary method we
viewed in one neighborhood was for homeowners (generally women) to bring out their
waste when called by the garbage collectors. A second method was leaving compost bags
hanging on a fence outside of the home (See Photo 2). On at least one instance, we saw
birds pecking at one of these hanging bags, which appeared likely to tear.
Neither of these two options appears desirable. In the first case someone must be home to
bring out the biodegradables exactly at pickup time, and in the latter case there is a
constant risk of pets and mess. These issues have implications for pickup schedule,
described below.
Household pickup and transport
Pickup must be convenient for household
members. However, studies have shown
willingness to pay among households in
the Philippines is quite low.39
This is
further evidenced by the fact that the
garbage fee for households in Plaridel, a
flat fee of 300 pesos per year, has not been
collected due to opposition from the
populace. This implies the need for
lowest-cost pickup options as relatively
little of the cost of pickup can be passed
onto consumers, at least until barangays take over pickup functions. Hopefully more
decentralized management may make the linkage between user-fees and garbage pickup
services more acceptable.
5.B.2 Recommendations:
Storage
Solid containers
Although theft is a major barrier, creative means to institute the use of solid containers is
possible. This may include bolting the containers to the ground, enforcing vandalism of
municipal containers, etc. In other countries a variety of storage mediums have been tried
with varying degrees of success. Until the issue of theft is solved, however, the need for
bags as a storage medium will likely continue.
Bio-plastics
40
A variety of imitation-plastics derived from plant materials are commonly found
throughout Europe. One possibility for streamlining the process for
bio-waste would be to mandate such bags for biodegradable
pickups. This would reduce sorting times during the composting
stage as the bags themselves are compostable and could therefore be left in with the rest
of the bio-waste. For example, on pickup day a new biodegradable bag could be
exchanged for a full one. The cost of biodegradable bags (such as those made from
starch) was not immediately available, but they are believed to be price-competitive with
other plastics. In stores in Canada, for example, these bags can be purchased for the
equivalent of four pesos per bag (retail pricing). (For comparative purposes the same
stores sell conventional plastic bags for five pesos per bag.) We were not able to research
bulk pricing. Nevertheless, this technology remains one possible avenue to explore in the
future.
Household Pickup Scheduling
As described in the previous section, in some neighborhoods the pickup schedule may be
challenging as members of the household may not always be available to bring out their
garbage when the truck arrives. Immediate policy implications are that bio-waste should
be picked up during hours when family members are likely to be home in order to
maximize convenience.
5.B.3 Pickup and Transport: Vehicle Technology and Scheduling
Findings and Observations
Although ten barangays have garbage trucks, seven are being used for waste pickup.
Most, if not all, of these trucks are being used for non-garbage purposes as well. These
alternative uses for the trucks have proven to be more profitable, and because the
Municipality is still providing free pickup services, these barangays have not prioritized
solid waste management in their neighbourhoods. One barangay official, for example,
informed us that they were not using their truck because of fuel costs.40
The Municipality is offering co-financing for non-truck pickup vehicles, including:
Free pedi-cabs set up with garbage pickup capacity
Free motorcycles with side-car, set up for garbage pickup capacity, such as the
one which was provided to barangay San Jose
The mode of pickup is determined by a variety of factors,
including:
Type and composition of waste (Is it heavy? Dense?
Hazardous?)
Road type and accessibility (will the vehicle fit? How does
it interact with traffic patterns?)
Photo 3: example of Bio-
plastic Bag
41
Range (in general, non-motorized transport, such as bicycles or handcarts, is
limited to around one or two square kilometers around the transfer point due to
the amount of time it takes to move to the depot or transfer area
Costs, such as the relative costs of labor to capital, running costs, and fuel costs,
as compared to the available budget
Common means of pickup employed in many developing countries are listed below in
Table 3. When making decisions regarding pickup types, barangays in particular should
keep in mind that combinations of these methods will be most effective.
Table 3: Optional Pick-up Modes
Type
Effective
range from
transfer
station
(square
kilometers)
Purchasing
cost
Labor
costs per
ton of
waste
Maintenance Costs (including
lifespan/replacement
costs) Maneuverability
Handcarts 1sqk Very low Low Very low Increasing
Pack-animals 1sqk Low Low Low
Bicycle-carts 1-2sqk Very low Very low Very low
Motorcycles 1-5sqk Medium Medium Low Tractors (with
trailers) 1-5sqk High Medium Medium
Pickup trucks <2sqk High Low High
Full-size trucks <2sqk Very high Low High Decreasing
(Adapted from UNEP, 2005)
The range (but not necessarily the load) increases as we move down the list. However,
cost also increases, while maneuverability is lost due to increased vehicle size. When full
and moving at full speed, large vehicles have a fuel advantage over smaller ones. The
fuel advantage of large trucks is also lost in areas with frequent stops and starts, which
wastes much energy.
Maximizing Vehicle Potential: Trailer Technology
A simple trailer attached to a conventional vehicle, like a car or pickup truck, can greatly
increase capacity for garbage pickup at minimal cost. If more than one trailer is used, the
vehicle can make trips back to the transfer point while the other trailer is loaded by
laborers.
This theory applies to virtually all types of transport into which some sort of trailer
module can be added, including bicycles and motorcycle-based units. Several helpers
with a handcart, for example, could each cover one city block at the same time and
converge at a single trailer, which would act as a mobile transfer station. The trailer could
be exchanged for an empty one, and the full one transported (by motorcycle, car, or
conventional truck such as a barangay vehicle) to the MRF while the helpers continue to
load the freshly emptied trailer. In this way helpers would be fully employed in collecting
and trucks would be used most effectively.
42
5.B.4 Private Sector Involvement in SWM
It also bears mentioning that junkshop owners could continue to play an important role in
door-to-door waste collection. Throughout Plaridel, junkshops act as collection points for
recyclable goods, and in many cases daily pickup is provided at no cost to the
municipality or barangays. In this sense the private sector is already providing waste
collection services.
One question which remains open is what will happen to junkshop owners when
barangay MRFs are competing for the same source of funding: recyclables. On the one
hand, the service is currently provided for free and is important in poverty alleviation. On
the other hand, when barangays are providing pickup services, the revenue for
recyclables will be awarded to the treasury.
5.B.5 Recommendations
Rapidly increasing oil prices are showing no signs of abating. This implies the need to
look at long-term costs in a world where oil is extremely expensive, or perhaps
completely unavailable. For example, if gas continues to rise at 15% per annum for the
next five years, gas prices will double by 2012. Plaridel’s barangays and municipality
must plan accordingly.
A one or two kilometer zone encompassing each barangay MRF would be better serviced
by bicycle or handcarts for waste disposal. They would be quiet, less disruptive to traffic,
more mobile, and less polluting (unlike a diesel truck).5 Outside this range of one to two
kilometers, a choice will have to be made between using motorized vehicles, or adding
additional transfer points from which vehicle pickup would be possible. Only in
extremely dense areas are garbage trucks likely to be cost-effective, and even then a
combination that includes a trailer-based system (as described above) may prove more
cost efficient.
Additional transfer stations would be extremely challenging in areas where land is
expensive, unless informal agreements can be reached for using vacant lots. There is also
a risk that transfer stations will quickly become points for illegal garbage dumping, as
can easily be observed in many empty lots in Plaridel already.
Smaller, denser areas must balance factors like distance from the MRF and population
density/amount of waste. Poblacion, for example, is only 49 hectares, making it the
smallest, but most densely populated barangay. It would therefore have to carefully price
the tradeoffs between labor-intensive non-motorized pickup and carrying capacity.
For the larger, less dense areas, such as Bulihan (493 Ha), which also has tight,
challenging roads (and is likely to generate much less garbage), smaller vehicles such as
5 The limited range of these non-motorized options makes them less feasible in rural
areas.
43
motorcycles with sidecars or other low-profile vehicles are likely the most effective
means for garbage pickup.
Other barangays may fall in between these two extremes depending on the above factors
(e.g., geography, cost, population density, etc.). There will be no one-size-fits-all solution
for the barangays as each has unique geographic and demographic features.
Pickup Frequency and Bio-Waste
Biodegradable waste comprises the largest part of the waste stream in most cities. The
last waste audit in Plaridel found biodegradable waste to be approximately 60% of total
waste. Considering the quantity of this portion of waste, and the rate at which it
decomposes, pick up should be frequent.
Heat and humidity accelerate the decomposition of bio-waste and aid in producing foul
odors, which likewise attract unwanted pests. This spells the need for a minimum bi-
weekly pick up schedule for bio-waste in most barangays: an idea that was reinforced
through several interviews with key informants from across the community. Therefore
this should be considered the baseline for biodegradable waste service.
Pickup Frequency and Residuals
Pickup frequency of residual waste is less of a pressing concern, so long as the residuals
are properly segregated. When bio-waste is separated from residual-waste, the waste is
unlikely to smell, and health hazards (like lice) are more easily avoided. Nevertheless,
pickup for residuals would ideally be at least once per week. This could also be combined
with a bio-pickup day.
Incorporation of the Private Sector
We also recommend that the junkshop owners (JSOs) be incorporated into the SWM
service sector at the barangay level. One possible way to incorporate them would be to
allow them to continue providing the same services, but in partnership with the
Municipality. The Municipality would receive whatever recyclables the JSO did not get.
Setting up a cooperative can allow for much higher income generation for most JSOs.6 In
Batangas, for example, a cooperative was set up with help from the Municipality and an
outside NGO, which raised the standard of living for the junkshop owners.41
Linis Ganad,
a JSO cooperative in Manila, provides free services and helps in the establishment of
such cooperatives.
Pickup Services in the Poorer Informal Settlements
6 It is also worth noting that in numerous case studies within the Philippines, it has been
shown that JSOs make little money compared to the middle-men whom they sell to.
Source: Anschutz and Lapid, 2004.
44
Within these areas, many dwellings are small and afford minimal space for indoor
storage. With extremely poor families, purchasing is so infrequent that even plastic bags
(such as grocery bags) may not be regularly available for disposal. To complicate matters
further, the costs involved in pickup are greatly increased in low-income areas,
particularly informal settlements. Those located along the riverside, for example, have
extremely narrow, winding pathways that make access difficult and time-consuming for
garbage collectors. Conversely, these groups tend to generate the least amount of garbage
when measured either by weight or volume. This implies that just one person can
transport the garbage from a large number of households.
This may present one case where extremely frequent collection is required. This would
ideally be in concert with accessible bins (which should be made difficult to appropriate
and of low value for scrap). These bins could be filled by an informal collector and
placed along the street, which would likely provide enough garbage for a small vehicle to
pick up and transport (such as a motorcycle with side-car, or a pedal garbage truck).
The responsibility for such areas is clearly within barangay-level administration.
However, in as far as it provides potential employment for former scavengers, the
Municipality could consider a modest contribution to the wages of workers involved in
daily or bi-daily collection from communal bins. In these areas, daily collection may
prove to be the best barrier against illegal dumping.
5.B.6 Long-Term Municipal Waste Transport Requirements
This section attempts to examine the medium and longer-term investment requirements
of the municipality, with consideration given to the increasing role for the barangays in
garbage collection, and the transport of all residual waste to the new sanitary landfill
(SLF).
Findings
For the Municipality, pickup will begin at the barangay MRFs and run to the municipal
MRF. Given that this will involve transporting large loads of garbage from concentrated
sources with relatively little loading time, the municipality has excellent capacity for
pickup without upgrading their fleet. Furthermore, the city already has several trucks
available that should be able to handle this workload.
For transport to the SLF, however, the Municipality is considering the purchase of a
large, 10-wheel dump truck from Japan. The rationale behind the purchase is the tipping
fee at the SLF, which will likely be based on number of trips and not on truck capacity.
Furthermore, once loaded a large truck (traveling at a consistent speed) may provide
some fuel savings over a smaller truck. In other words, the trucks purpose from the
municipal perspective is to lower the costs of disposal at the future SLF when residual
wastes are dumped. However, a closer analysis that weighs the truck-purchase option
45
against other cost-saving possibilities should be considered closely before arriving at a
final decision.
Factors such as the original purchase, running cost (i.e. fuel), labor cost, maintenance
costs, and replacement costs, should be included when considering the purchase of a new
truck. We could not give exact calculations at this time, because exact costs for the truck
and its fuel requirements are not yet available, nor was the tipping fee.
Other potentially relevant considerations include:
- The effect on employment (more trips may actually be better).
- Serviceability of Vehicles (which will affect cost).
- Ability to keep the municipal MRF clear of residuals (less frequent trips mean
more time with a growing pile of residuals).
A preliminary list of alternatives for meeting this demand includes:
The status quo option (using frequent trips, doing nothing else) which will result
in a higher tipping fee
Changing the tipping fee at the SLF. Although this is not directly within the
authority of the Municipality, it is possible to organize with the
provincial/regional government. This could be accomplished through:
o Lobbying for a by-weight fee, common in many dumpsites
Or
o Lobbying for a charge by waste volume
Considerably reducing the flow of residual waste (thus reducing the number of
trips) through increased recycling and recovery efficiency. As 90% of residual
waste is projected to be plastics (largely made up of plastic bags) then the most
viable option for reducing costs would be to apply the four Rs to the plastics
stream. This may require a redirection of expenses into other forms, including a
pelletizer at the municipal MRF and potential labor costs in cleaning plastics for
potential reuse.
We have drafted a sample comparison chart for these options in Table 4 below. The table
is incomplete due to information not available to as at the time of writing. However,
during the decision making process we recommend plugging in information as it becomes
available in order to better weigh the options and tradeoffs involved.
46
Table 4:
Medium-term Policy Options for Municipal Waste Transport
Relevant measures and objectives Status Quo Purchase/import of large truck
Household plastics
cleaning MRF cleaning costs
Changing Tipping
Fees
Purchasing Cost 0 ?
1 pelletizer -
P100,000 ? 0
Labor Costs 2 trips, _ hours, = Low - 1/2 trips = 1/2 labor costs Low - 1/2 trips
Medium-high - 1/2
trips, high c leaning
costs
Labor of munic ipal
employees
Equipment Maintenance Costs Current (approximately 50,000/year) Replacement of parts will be expensive ? ? 0
Tipping Fees (per ton of garbage) 2x 1x >1x >1x Lower in all cases
Plaridelians employed 2 to 4 loss of one driver? 2 - 4 at MRF 4 - 6 at MRF Two to four
Other comments
Compactor can be used for lighter
materials to fit more per truck load
Possible extra costs for re-training driver;
possible difficulties with road width near MRF
Possible employment
for former
scavengers?
This policy is
complimentary to
options 1, 3, and 4. If
successful, it would
render option 2 less
useful.
Uncertainty Life remaining in existing trucks Maintenance costs
Resale/reuse value of
plastics uncertain.
Liklihood of
household compliance
unkown.
Labor costs unkown.
Resale prices of
plastics unknown. (May be impossible)
Reducing residuals through use of
plastics
It is important to note the high uncertainty of this analysis due to lack of definitive
information. This table should merely be used as a guide for helping to evaluate
purchasing decisions in the future. We would like to draw particular attention to the fact
that the truck does not appear at this stage to be a least-cost solution, and may actually
hurt employment. Furthermore, since dialogue is free, it seems that it would be
immediately worthwhile to pursue the possibility of charge-by-weight or by truck volume
systems at the SLF, as this could help to eliminate the need for a larger truck.
An alternate solution to frequent pickups is large, air-tight containers for biodegradable
waste. This would both cut down on smell and potential for pests and vectors.
Unfortunately, lack of space on the street and frequency of theft of containers makes this
an impractical solution over the short-term.
47
Chapter VI: Conclusions
Although the capitalist economy has produced an extraordinary level of convenience that
characterizes much of the modern world, it has brought with it a culture of excessive
waste. The current system is expert at creating products made to temporarily satiate a
particular desire, or satisfy an overwhelming curiosity. But it claims no moral or ethical
allegiance to the space it occupies: our space, the environment. Our communities face the
formidable challenge of correcting this irresponsible culture of waste generation and
disposal; a culture that has come to contaminate the spaces we live in, the rivers we drink
from, the soil we depend on, and the air we breathe.
Since the Second World War, products have increasingly been designed to be cheap and
disposable. Many countries, like the Philippines, are facing extraordinary problems
dealing with the amount and toxicity of waste they produce. The harmful effects of
certain materials, such as leechate from batteries, or mercury found in cell phones, are
almost never confined to the landfill and invariably spread into the surrounding
ecosystem.
Reducing consumption is still considered taboo by most policy makers as slowing
production and consumption is said to interfere with the economy. However, it is
increasingly clear that the old economic model of production consumption landfill
disposal is overly wasteful. It is also increasingly clear that this outmoded model is what
has driven global fuel shortages and the food crisis.
The products we consume and the machines used in their production represent a
significant portion of the contemporary ecological crisis. Machines make our products,
ship them, heat them, cool them, process them, and transport them once again when they
are disposed of. Dependence on machines is arguably a significant contributing factor to
the detrimental environmental condition in which we are currently immersed.
Technology plays an intimate role not only in the way we engage the world, but how we
understand it. Our way of knowing depends in a large part on the technology we use and
the scientific know-how that enables it.
This dependence on technology creates what one author has called an “ingenuity gap”.42
That is, we cease to be able to address problems with our own creative mental faculty due
to an ingrained familiarity of technology doing it for us. We fail to recognize the true
range of available solutions to a given problem as we remain blinded by the influence of
technology. We are currently in a crisis situation; how do we get out of it? Do we create
more technology to save us? How much will it cost? What other options are available?
But new technology will not necessarily solve old problems. Technology can be a useful
ally in helping us mitigate our impact on the environment, but we should hesitate in
letting it be the central component of a system we are struggling to make sustainable.
Technology breaks down, becomes undependable, is often beyond our budget, and
complicates our systems beyond recognition. Yet we wait for its timely interjection into
our lives in hope that it will strategically aid in diminishing the environmental impacts of
48
other technologies we have created. In the meantime, however, landfills continue to
grow while our ingenuity gap unwittingly forfeits the space necessary for garbage to
accumulate into spectacular mountains of refuse.
Reducing the amount of garbage we produce as a society is the best way to avoid
pollution. Waste reduction removes the perceived need for more machinery to process it,
transport it, or dispose of it. An expensive plastic pulverizing machine, for example, is
made redundant if plastic is no longer a large portion of our waste. A 10-wheeler will not
be necessary if there is less garbage to transport.
Reducing bio-waste, however, may be more difficult than non-bio waste. We need to eat,
farm and maintain our properties. As mentioned previously in this report, 60% of all
waste in Plaridel falls into this category. Nevertheless, the best means of treating this
waste is currently being practiced in Plaridel: Composting. It is an ancient practice that
needs no modern technology. Simple machinery is currently used in processing some of
this waste, but is not necessary. If this particular machine breaks down, the system will
not collapse. Simple tools, like machetes, could replace machinery if need be.
Therefore, we find that an emphasis needs to be placed on labor-intensive practices over
expensive capital investments. If all of the fertilizer in Plaridel could come from food
waste within its own boundaries; if residual waste became 1% because 99% was being
recycled into Plaridel-made materials; if each barangay was a model of sustainable
consumption, then Plaridel would be a model for sustainability in the Philippines.
This report has tried to provide some preliminary steps in reaching such a vision. The
decentralization of MRF functions and garbage collection is only the first step in such a
process, albeit a formidable one. Most important is that citizens understand the
possibilities which are available to them, and that such visions are “marketed” to every
group through the best available means.
We have learned that good ideas already exist within the local populace; it is only a
matter of harnessing their creativity. Using public spaces to engage the local population is
one means of tapping their creativity and ingenuity. From churches to the Barangay
Halls, schools and sari sari stores, the local community frequently congregates and people
share their opinions and ideas about contemporary issues. Using these spaces to engage
the public and harness their creativity is a challenge for political leaders, but one that
could decide the outcome of the current struggle to create a cleaner environment.
In conclusion, we applaud the community’s efforts to establish a city-wide composting
system. We categorically agree with the present trajectory and ideology of the incumbent
municipal government. The recommendations embodying this report were made in effort
to strengthen or enhance the current system. The present federal administration of the
Philippines has indicated a clear need for better solid waste management practices, and
we believe Plaridel has begun to answer that call. The road ahead is daunting, but the
need to travel it has never been so clear. Without a planned, global diversion from the
status quo, the results for all of us could be catastrophic.
49
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15 Ibid
16 Climate Action Network Europe website, available online at:
http://www.climnet.org/publicawareness/waste.html 17
Barbara Serrano (Municipal Budget Officer) in discussion with the author, August 6th, 2008.
18 Barbara Serrano (Municipal Budget Officer) in discussion with the author, August 6
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19 Ibid
20 Bennagen, M and Altez, V. Impacts of Units Pricing of Solid Waste Collection and Disposal in
Olongapo City, Philippines (2004), Research Report, EEPSEA. 21
Bennagen, M and Altez, V. Impacts of Units Pricing of Solid Waste Collection and Disposal in
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Ibid 23
Ibid 24
Bennagen, M and Altez, V. Impacts of Units Pricing of Solid Waste Collection and Disposal in
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BBC News (20 August 2002), “Irish Bag Tax Hailed Success”. Found online at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2205419.stm. 27
Ibid 28
5th August 2008, Authors’ Personal Observation.
29 Lapid, D., Munez, L. and Bongon, L. (1998), Community Participation in Urban Solid Waste
Management in Metro Manila and Metro Cebu, the Philippines, UWEP City Series: Final Report.
50
30
Knussen, C. Yule, F. MacKenzie, J. and Wells, M. “An Analysis of Intentions to Recycle
Household Waste: The Roles of Past Behaviour, Perceived Habit, and Perceived Lack of
Facilities.”Journal of Environmental Psychology 24 (2004): 237–246 31
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Rene Rivero (head of MENRO) in discussion with the author, July 24th, 2008.
34 “Dugay” (barangay Poblacion captain) in discussion with the authors, July 31
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35 Atilano Garcia (barangay San Jose captain) in discussion with the authors, July 19
th, 2008.
36 Rene Rivero (head of MENRO) in discussion with the author, July 24
th, 2008.
37 Professor Nora Angeles in discussion with the authors, July 19
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38 Rene Rivero (head of MENRO) in discussion with the authors, July 24
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39 Naz, A. and Naz, M. Modeling Choices for Ecological Solid Waste Management in Suburban
Municipalities: User Fees in Tuba, Philippines. (2006). Available online @ www.eepsea.org 40
Virgilio Alejo (barangay captain of Santo Nino) in discussion with the author, July 29th 2008.
41 Anschutz, J. and Lapid, D. Integrated Sustainable Waste Management in Batangas Bay:
Lessons Learnt from the UWP Program in the Philippines. (UWEP City Series Final Report,
UWEP Urban Waste Expertise Program, 2004). 42
Homer-Dixon, T. (2000), The Ingenuity Gap: Facing the Economic, Environmental, and Other
Challenges of an Increasingly Complex and Unpredictable World.