Integration of the informal sector into municipal solid waste management in the Philippines – What does it need?

This article assesses the status of the solid waste management system (SWMS) in Karachi, the largest city of Pakistan, using the material flow analysis approach, a widely applied method in waste management (WM) studies. It involves a systematic assessment of the material flows of solid waste under the current WM system. A material flow diagram is developed to visualize the input and output waste flows. This study shows the quantification and identification of municipal solid waste (MSW) flow for the year 2019, from the point of generation to the end-use and disposal. Results show that the MSW generation increased from 10,435 to 15,600 metric tonnes per day (TPD) between 2017 to 2019. Approximately, 75% of the waste generated is collected: formally (50%); and informally (25%). The material recovery is low, accounting for only 26.28% of the total waste. There is no official material recovery and recycling facility. Therefore, material recovery solely depends on the informal sector. Results show that 70% of the daily waste ends up in landfills, which is 3120 TPD more than the formally collected waste. This estimated waste of 3120 TPD flows in either due to disposal activities of the backlogged waste or informally collected waste. Overall, Karachi’s SWMS performs poorly with a significant need for improvement. This study recommends adopting integrated WM approaches and inclusion of the informal sector to ensure the affordability and sustainability of the WM system.

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A Study of Policy Implementation and Community Participation in the Municipal Solid Waste Management in the Philippines

Applied Environmental Research ◽

10.35762/aer.2021.43.2.3 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-26

Author(s):

Mary E.C. Camarillo ◽

Luzvisminda M. Bellotindos

Keyword(s):

Waste Management ◽

Municipal Solid Waste ◽

Solid Waste ◽

Solid Waste Management ◽

Public Information ◽

Management Plan ◽

The Philippines ◽

Municipal Solid Waste Management ◽

Integrated Solid Waste Management ◽

Msw Management

Municipal solid waste (MSW) management has become one of the most pressing environmental concerns of the Philippines at present. Several measures have been implemented to circumvent this issue, including waste management policies stipulated in the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2001. However, the implementation of these policies even at the barangay level has always been a challenge. Hence, this study assessed the compliance of selected barangays in Cebu City, Philippines, specifically to the integrated solid waste management plan based on the 3R’s (reduce, reuse, and recycle). A descriptive quantitative method was utilized in this study. There were 1523 residents and 30 Barangay Environment Officials identified as respondents based on Slovin’s sampling method at a 95% confidence level. The results revealed that there is less extent of compliance in almost all of the SWM policies such as segregation, composting, recycling, incentives, and public information. There is a moderate extent of compliance in terms of collection and transport of solid waste and enforcement of penalties and fines. However, there is non-compliance in terms of facilities for final disposal. Furthermore, the results suggested that effective measures for recycling and composting should be undertaken to encourage higher participation among residents of the barangay. The presence of effective, functional, and marketable materials resource facilities and convenient drop-off locations for recyclable materials ensure final sorting according to its type for composting and recycling.

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