The State Of Waste Management In Manila 🇵🇭

Waste Management Manila 🇵🇭: Waste management is a growing concern worldwide, and Manila in the Philippines is no exception. With its population of 1.8 million people, Manila produces an estimated 10,000 tonnes of garbage every day – yielding disastrous consequences for air quality and public health. Despite increased awareness and efforts from authorities and citizens over the past few decades, a lack of efficient infrastructure and ample resources means there are still major challenges to sustainable waste management in this bustling city. In this blog, we’ll explore how local trends have developed over time, the pursued initiatives to improve conditions locally, and international best practices that could serve as useful models for cities facing similar issues.

Here at Waster, we can say that we have close ties with people from the Philippines. In fact, we even have a few Filipino friends working for us!

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Just the other day, we have been talking about plenty of topics – anything you can think of under the sun, we have talked about. Of course, us being a waste management and recycling company, we talked about our respective practices in our own countries. Of the things we have talked about, waste management in the Philippines, specifically in Manila, certainly piqued my interest.

I learned a lot of things during that talk. And as a result, we want to share with you, too, the state of waste management in Manila. We will do just that, which is to cover waste management in Manila: how the city is currently doing in that regard and what it maybe needs to do to improve. We suggest that you continue reading this blog to learn more.

What you should know about waste management in Manila

Unfortunately, Manila, the capital city of the Philippines, is not doing too well in its waste management and recycling practice. The city, under one of Asia’s premier regions Metro Manila, has had a long dispute with rubbish. According to a Medium article that talks about improper solid waste management in Manila, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority or MMDA stated that the total volume of garbage thrown by Metro Manila residents was 9,499.44 tonnes per day, compared with 8,600 tonnes per day in 2010, and the numbers could still rise in the following years (45 per cent of Metro’s garbage not properly disposed of, 2017a). Although Manila collects a lot of rubbish daily, the sheer amount of waste far outweighs what they collect.

More from Medium: “According to one study from the Solid Waste Management office or SWMO of the MMDA showed that the actual volume of waste in Metro Manila that was properly disposed of in its dumping area reached only 29,645.44 cubic metres per day, and that was equivalent to 54.81 per cent. That was equivalent to 54.81 per cent of the total collected garbage each day. Therefore, 45.19 per cent of garbage was not properly disposed of (45 per cent of Metro’s garbage not properly disposed of, 2017b). Almost half of the waste from Metro Manila alone is not being disposed of properly. Just imagine where those improperly disposed of waste may end up.”

Well, we need not imagine it. The remaining waste is left to accumulate in the streets, canals, and other public areas, leading to environmental and health hazards. The lack of proper waste segregation and disposal systems has resulted in a high level of pollution in the city, with landfills overflowing and waste burning causing air pollution.

What the Government has done to improve waste management in Manila City

The city government has implemented various measures to address these challenges, such as the implementation of a waste segregation system, the establishment of recycling programs, the establishment and operation of sanitary landfill and the construction of waste-to-energy facilities.

MMDA released Solid Waste Disposal and Management – which includes formulation and implementation of policies, standards, programs and projects for proper and sanitation waste disposal It will also involve the establishment and operation of sanitary landfill and related facilities and the implementation of other alternative programs intended to reduce, reuse and recycle solid waste.

However various factors which include inadequate funding, poor implementation and lack of public participation have hindered the efforts quite a bit.

Overall, waste management in Manila remains a significant challenge, but the government has made some efforts to improve the situation. It will require a sustained and collaborative effort from the government, private sector, and citizens to effectively manage waste in the city.

Waster’s thoughts on waste management Manila

Waste management in Manila is an important and ongoing problem that needs dedicated attention. The government needs to improve the current methods employed, considering their environmental impacts. This responsibility falls in part on the citizens of Manila as well – proper recycling and waste disposal practices are key components of a clean city and ones that we should all strive to uphold. Furthermore, initiatives aimed at improving waste management should be supported and encouraged when possible.

Going forward, reducing criminality related to garbage collection would also be a major step forward in spurring necessary change. There is no easy solution for waste management in Manila, but any contribution made towards solving this problem could make a lasting impact for generations to come.

So what are your thoughts on waste management in Manila? How have you taken measures to reduce your personal and household contribution to this issue? Your answers could make an invaluable difference.

Contact Waster today for your waste and recycling needs!

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