Be a responsible citizen: Reduce household waste

After the holidays, the most obvious problem that needs a lifestyle change is not one’s weight.  It is how one can lessen household waste and contribute to the reduction of the garbage that will have to be disposed, with a big chunk finding its way to polluting bodies of water.

There is no need for an official report from government agencies to make us realize the tons of garbage generated by the holiday celebrations. Holiday traditions, one of them gift-giving, generated garbage that could be seen outside majority of houses after Christmas Eve.  Also, garbage from New Year’s Eve revelry, like food waste, plastic food containers, and beverage packs filled garbage bags.  Add to that the disposable holiday décor that were discarded in the course of cleaning up after the holidays.

It was no surprise to see mounds of garbage bags in many street corners and public parks, a sight that is usually tolerated – and forgiven – after the long holidays. For example, truckloads of thrash are always collected by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and the local government units from public parks the morning after New Year’s Eve.  Four years ago, in 2019, the Manila LGU collected 50 tons of thrash at the Luneta Park.  (The trash collected in the following years were not significant because of the pandemic.)

The unfortunate fact is that the holiday thrash only added to the regular daily garbage of households.  Data from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said that the country generates 61,000 metric tons (MT) of solid waste daily, among that 163 million plastic sachet packages, and 48 million shopping bags.

To help focus on the ways Filipinos can shift to a more sustainable lifestyle to reduce waste, the late President Benigno S. Aquino III signed Proclamation No 760 in 2014 declaring January of every year as Zero Waste Month. It promotes the design of products and processes that would eliminate waste. It also encourages public and private agencies to conduct activities that would make people aware of how they can contribute to reducing – and eventually eliminating – household waste.

We have several laws to manage the collection and disposal of waste. One of them is Republic Act 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, which requires the segregated collection of garbage by the LGUs.  Another is a recent law, the Extended Producer Responsibility Act (EPRA) that holds companies accountable for the plastic packaging they produce throughout the lifecycle of their products.

As population grows, so does the amount of waste generated.  The problem is how to dispose of that properly which leads to another problem – “the amount of garbage is going beyond the country’s solid waste management capacity,” a government website has reported.

As citizens, we are responsible for contributing to the solution of this problem. A most effective way to help the government is for individuals to change a lifestyle that generates waste.  For many years now, experts advise that the way to this starts with the 3-Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Segregate household waste; avoid using plastic straws and cutleries; bring a reusable bag when shopping.

These basic steps sound simple but with all of us doing our share, we can contribute to the solution.