ESWM Brochures ENHANCED 2

ECOLOGICAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT • Flowers • Spray Canisters RECYCLE*
• Twigs • Bulky Wastes such as: • Choose recyclable products and
Refers to the systematic administration of • Branches • Large worn-out or broken furniture containers and recycle them.
activities which provide • Stems • Select products made from recyclable
for segregation at • Lamps materials.
source, segregated B. RECYCLABLE WASTES. Recyclable • Bookcases • Compost yard trimmings, food scraps and
transportation, storage, materials refer to any waste material • Filing Cabinets other biodegradable wastes.
transfer, processing, retrieved from the waste stream and • Consumer Electronics which refer to worn- • Do not burn.
treatment, and disposal free from contamination that can still be out, broken and other discarded items such as:
of solid waste and all converted into suitable beneficial use. These • Radios APPROACHES TO ECOLOGICAL
other waste management may be transformed into new products in • Stereos SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT
activities which do not harm the such a manner that the original products • TV sets
environment. may lose their identity. • White Goods which refer to large worn-out 1. Segregation of wastes at source. All the
Examples are: or broken household appliances such as: members of the household must be informed
Ecological Solid Waste Management should • Newspaper • Stoves how to segregate wastes into compostable, non-
start at the household level. Management of waste • Ferrous scrap metal • Refrigerators recyclable, recyclable and special or hazardous
materials in the households are normally carried • Non-ferrous scrap metal • Dishwashers waste.
out by the servants and often the housewives. • Corrugated cardboard • Clothes Washers
Thus, they must be well-informed about proper • Aluminum • Dryers 2. There must be a separate container for each
• Glass • Oil types of waste. Segregated recyclables must
waste handling and management. • Office paper • Tires be properly cleaned before storing them in their
• Tin cans respective containers.
WHAT IS SOLID WASTE? WASTE AVOIDANCE AND THE THREE
C. RESIDUAL WASTES. Residual wastes R’s OF SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT 3. The use of special collection schedules and/or
SOLID WASTE refers to all discarded household, are solid waste materials that are non- separate trucks or haulers must be required for
commercial waste, nonhazardous compostable and non-recyclable. It should AVOIDANCE specific types of wastes.
institutional and industrial waste, be disposed ecologically through a long-term • Avoid disposable goods such as
street sweeping, construction disposal facility or sanitary landfill. throwaway razors, pens, diapers, etc. 4. Recyclable wastes materials should be taken
debris, agricultural waste and Examples are: • Eliminate household toxic waste from to the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in
other non-hazardous and non- • Sanitary napkins the garbage stream every barangay or cluster of barangays where
toxic solid waste. • Disposable diapers • Avoid products that are made from they are received, sorted, processed and
• Worn-out rugs non-renewable resources stored efficiently and in an environmentally
CLASSIFICATION OF SOLID WASTE • Cartons which contain a plastic lining sound manner. Compostable wastes on the
usually used for milk and juice REDUCE* other hand, should be composted either in the
A. COMPOSTABLE WASTES. Compostable wastes containers • Reduce the amount of unnecessary backyard or the community composting site.
are biodegradable wastes such as food waste, • Ceramics packaging. Hazardous wastes are further screened and sent
garden waste, animal waste and human waste. • Candy wrappers/sachets • Adopt practices that reduce waste to appropriate hazardous waste treatment and
They undergo biological degradation under • Other soiled materials that cannot be toxicity disposal plants.
controlled conditions and can be turned into composted and recycled
compost (soil conditioner or organic fertilizer) by REUSE* 5. The residual wastes or the non-recyclable and
mixing them with soil, water, air and biological D. SPECIAL WASTES. Special wastes refer to • Consider reusable products. non-compostable wastes shall be term storage
additives/activators. (optional). household hazardous wastes. • Maintain and repair durable products. disposal facility or sanitary landfill.
Examples are: Examples are: • Reuse bags, containers, and other
• Fruit and vegetable peelings • Paints items *Excerpted from The Consumer’s Handbook for Reducing Solid Waste, p.7
• Leftover foods • Thinners • Borrow, rent, or share items used “Tips for Reducing Solid Waste”, by the US EPA, 1996.
• Vegetable trims • Household batteries frequently.
• Fish/fowl/meat/animal entrails • Lead-acid batteries • Sell or donate goods instead of
• Soft shells throwing them out.
• Seeds
• Leaves

WHAT IS COMPOSTING ? TYPES OF SMALL SCALE COMPOSTERS GUIDE TO COMPOSTING PROBLEMS

COMPOSTING refers to the controlled 1. TWIN PITS SYMPTOM PROBLEM SOLUTION ECOLOGICAL
decomposition of organic matter by micro- Dig into (1m x 1m x 1m) one-half meter apart. SOLID
organisms mainly bacteria and fungi, into a Put small twigs at the bottom and place a Bad odor Not enough Turn it. add dry WASTE
humus-like product. hallow tube for air inlet. Follow the rules for air material, if the MANAGEMENT
composting, using the pits by turns. For an pile is too wet
HOW TO MAKE A COMPOST average household, it might take a month to FOR HOUSEHOLDS
fill up each pit, thus allowing sufficient time for Center of the Not enough Moisten and turn
1. Chop the biodegradable wastes into finer the materials to decompose or mature into soil pile is dry
portions. The smaller the size of organic conditioner, or fertilizer. water the pile
wastes, the faster the compost will be ready for
use. 2. TOWER TIRES Compost is Too small; Collect more
Make two piles of old car tires directly on damp and warm cold weather materials and mix
2. Mix-up the biodegradable wastes and place them the ground and use them as containers for only in the old ingredients
into the composters. Do not burn on top of the composting. To aerate, just insert anything middle into a new pile
piles or composters because the heat will kill in between the tires. If placed directly on
the biological “decomposers”, thus, delaying the cemented ground, line the bottom with soil. Pile is damp Lack of Mix in a nitrogen
composting process. and sweet nitrogen source
3. BOTTOMLESS COMPOSTERS smelling but
3. Sprinkle a small amount of water. Moisture Old drums, cans, plastic water containers with still will not
is essential for microbial activity. Protect the the bottoms off, even an old jute or rice sack heat up
composters from accumulating too much liquid to with bottom seam ripped off and supported
avoid leaching. by three pegs or cheap posts can be used as Interior looks or High Pile is too large;
bottomless composters. smells charred Temperature reduce size, add
4. Sprinkle or layer with soil so as not to invite flies water
and to control odors. Place the soil in between 4. CLAY FLOWER POTS COMPOST
the layers of the mixture. Have ten flower pots. Use flower pots by BENEFITS AND USES OF COMPOST
turns. By the time the tenth pot is full, in
5. Aerate the pile. Turn it once or twice a month about a month’s time, empty contents of the • Compost improves the physical, chemical
to provide the necessary oxygen to hasten the first pot and use as soil conditioner for plants/ and biological properties of the soil, as a soil
composting process. trees/lawn. Pots may be stacked one on top conditioner.
of another but keep contents moist.
6. When the interior of the pile is no longer hot and • Compost can be used as a soil supplement
the material has broken down into a dark and dry 5. PLASTIC BAG COMPOSTERS in flower beds, vegetable garden, lawn and in
soil, the composting is finished. Line plastic bags with soil, place chopped planting a new tree or shrub.
biodegradables top with soil/leaves, moisten,
then stack them one top of another while • Compost helps conserve moisture, prevent
awaiting collection. In few weeks time, these erosion and reduce weed growth.
become clean, safe, odorless compost, very
good for plants. LEGAL BASIS

6. COMPOST BINS REPUBLIC ACT 9003 January 26, 2001
These may be constructed from chicken wire An act providing for an ecological solid waste
or any durable “basket” material for small management program, creating the necessary
scale composting. They are designed to ade- institutional mechanisms and incentives, declaring
quately accommodate the necessary materials certain acts prohibited and providing penalties,
or ingredients and to allow access of air. appropriating funds therefor, and for other purposes.

an IEC production of the
Regional Public Affairs Office (RPAO)

Department of Environment and Natural Resources, RXI
in coordination with
Environmental Management Bureau XI