The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is considering using waste-to-energy (WTE) incinerators to solve the garbage problem that causes massive floods in the National Capital Region (NCR).
“We conducted a feasibility study funded by the World Bank to determine what technology would be used. Yes, that is one of the options we are looking into. If we have the waste-to-energy system, the garbage will have a substantial value, particularly plastics,” said MMDA chairperson Romando Artes.
The use of WTE incinerators was proposed during the time of then MMDA chair and now Senator Francis Tolentino. At that time, members of the Metro Manila Council, the agency’s governing board and policy-making body, had passed a resolution calling for the use of such facilities.
The MMC proposed at least four incinerators that will be needed to clear all garbage in the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western parts of Metro Manila, which produces an average of eight tons of garbage daily. In the proposal, the government would spend at least P7 billion for each incinerator.
In the meantime, according to Artes, the MMDA is planning to have a program in partnership with the Recyclers Association of the Philippines to expand the agency’s Recyclables Mo, Palit Grocery project.
The Recyclables Mo, Palit Grocery project showcased how residents can trade their recyclables for commodities. Residents gain points upon surrender of recyclable materials, which they can use to redeem grocery items.
All participating residents are then provided an Ecosavers Passbook, where all points earned and redeemed are recorded.
Garbage thrown on the streets ends up clogging canals, drainage systems, and waterways causing floods, the MMDA stated.
Artes urged the public to stop throwing garbage on the streets to allow water to flow, especially rainwaters, to prevent massive flooding during the rainy season. The trash is mostly made of plastic bags, cups, and bottles of water.
The MMDA chief explained that even if the agency conducts regular cleaning and declogging operations, “if the people continue to throw garbage, the problem of flooding will not end.”
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