The environment department’s Environmental Management Bureau plans to put up more waste recycling facilities for Metro Manila’s over 1,700 barangays.
Based on figures from the National Solid Waste Management Commission, there are now only 943 material recovery facilities in the National Capital Region serving 964 barangays.
“We can further help provide materials recovery facilities to barangay units for use in solid waste management,” said Marivic Quides, EMB’s chief for ambient air and water monitoring at the National Capital Region.
Quides said MRFs are important components of solid waste management, as these facilities are where waste materials are sorted for eventual recycling.
Recycling is among the strategies promoted under the Solid Waste Management Act to reduce the volume of waste for disposal while providing people livelihood.
Quides said each MRF costs around P350,000 to P400,000.
Earlier, the NSWMC said barangays may opt to form a cluster and pool funds to establish the group’s MRF.
The problem in Metro Manila, however, is availability of land, Quides said.
“MRFs can’t be on any land,” she said.
Barangays must have land of at least 50 square meters to 100 square meters for these facilities.