SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT

“WHEN YOU REFUSE TO REUSE, IT’S THE EARTH YOU ABUSE”

-VICHAROO

Solid waste management is a universal issue that matters to every single person in the world. And with over 90% of waste openly dumped or burned in low-income countries, it is the poor and most vulnerable who are disproportionately affected. Solid waste management was really a problem in barangay Motibot, until it became a serious issue to the people, the council took action on it, on its process of attaining proper solid waste management it was a bumpy road with an uphill and downhill battle that they have to face. 

January 2019, we were immersed in barangay Motibot and found out that improper solid waste management was really a problem they’re trying to combat. The council did some adaptation of ordinance and resolution, became active in promoting proper waste segregation in each household and educating each household that segregation should start at home, did several sectoral clean-up and coastal clean-up. The group did waste analysis computation of waste in barangay Motibot and found out that most of the waste collected were biodegradable, followed by recyclable, residuals then special trash. In the process of evaluation, we were successful at first as it is reflected by the award received by the council for the being the 2^nd in Solid waste management in Sindangan next to barangay Upper Inuman.

Long-term effects should be the primary goal of solid waste management, as discipline should be instilled in each household member and practice should start at home. Repeated health teaching, constant reminder, giving of IEC materials, posting of IEC in designated areas in Barangay Motibot, several surprise visit and inspection, construction of pet holding facility and trash bin out of recycled bottled water, several coastal and sectoral clean-up and involving the stakeholders are just some of the things that can help, support and promote solid waste management, but in the end we still need to target the roots which is what the group is doing, educating the youth in Barangay Motibot and in Motibot Elementary School, doing several and repeated health teaching in each member of the households in each sector, pointing out the importance of proper waste management, and it should start at home and parents should be engaged and start teaching their kids the importance of proper segregation and how it can impact the environment. 

Numbers of households practicing proper waste segregation increased from 90.56% in 2019 to 97% in 2022, households practicing composting from 48.23% in 2019 to 95% in 2022, households practicing recycling from 5.12% in 2019 to 76% in 2022 and non-practice of open burning from 85.83% in 2019 to 96% in 2022. In general, the group were able to achieve and increase the number of households practicing proper solid waste management from 35% to 92.91% based on the definition of Solid Waste Management in Barangay Motibot by the year 2022.

NURULLAJI A. AGUIL

LEVEL IV, ADZU - SOM