Solid waste management continues to be one of the most serious environmental and public issues in the country. This problem must take on an added urgency as the booming urban and economic expansion continuously leads to a steady rise in waste generation and consumption. Republic Act No. 9003 or the “Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000” intends to solve the nation's expanding solid waste problem and the requirement for mandatory segregation of solid waste. "Mandatory segregation at the source in household, institutional, industrial, commercial and agricultural sources" is already stipulated in Sections 21-22 although these provisions are yet to be implemented effectively in many LGUs (DENR, 2019). The target population is the general population since everyone is susceptible to the effects of improper waste disposal. Through local engagement with the LGUs, public-private partnerships, and incentive systems, everyone is enjoined to take part in these initiatives (Castillo & Otoma, 2013).
One advantage of waste segregation at the source is effective treatment and easier disposal of waste. This cuts down the amount of waste going to landfills, making it cheaper to dispose of and reducing the impact on the environment. Effective solid waste management reduces air, water, and soil contamination and improves health outcomes by controlling the spread of diseases and reducing exposure to hazardous waste. Additionally, trash segregation aids in the identification of various items that can be recycled and sold, cutting expenses and possibly generating income (Mishra, 2021). There are no evident disadvantages of this practice although this will take effort to implement because this needs adequate discipline on the part of the citizens. Information campaigns are also needed to ensure that everyone understands the different types of waste and how to dispose of them. The provision of different garbage containers and the designation of more accessible garbage collection sites throughout the city is also essential since not everyone has enough space to segregate their waste at home.
In my locality, Cebu City, there is a city ordinance establishing the system of waste collection and imposing fees. Through the “No Segregation, No Collection Policy”, garbage segregation is mandated at the source. In our barangay, the garbage collectors do not collect the waste if it is not segregated properly. This encourages the residents to make segregation a habit. The city's sustainable solid waste management program was successfully implemented with the aid of community involvement, allocation of financial resources, and the creation of a supportive institutional framework at the local level (Premakumara, Canete & Nagaishi, 2013).
References:
Castillo, A.L. & Otama, S. (2013). Status of Solid Waste Management in the Philippines. https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jsmcwm/24/0/24_677/_pdf
Department of Environment and Natural Resources [DENR] (2019). https://www.denr.gov.ph/index.php/priority-programs/solid-waste-management
Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 s.2 (Phil.). https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2001/01/26/republic-act-no-9003-s-2001/
Mishra, A. (2021). Policy Guidelines Promoting Behaviour Change for Strengthening Waste Segregation at Source. National Institution for Transforming India. https://www.niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2021-12/PromotingBehaviourChange-forStrengtheningWasteSegregation-at-Source-PolicyGuidelines.pdf
Premakumara, D., Canete, A.M., & Nagaishi, M. (2013). Policy Implementation of the Republic Act (RA) 9003 in the Philippines: A Case Study of Cebu City. 1st IWWG-ARB Symposium, Hokkaido University, Japan. https://www.iges.or.jp/en/publication_documents/pub/workingpaper/en/3308/6-5.pdf