Sinabi ni Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Roy A. Cimatu na hindi matatapos ang problema ng Pilipinas sa solid waste management sa pagtatayo lamang ng waste facilities bagkus ay hinikayat nito ang publiko na bawasan ang kanilang mga basura at sundin ang ‘sustainable lifestyle.’
Kasabay ng paggunita sa 21-taon ng Republic Act 9003 o ang Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2001, tinukoy ni Cimatu ang patuloy na pagbibigay ng tulong sa local government units (LGUs) para sa pagpapatayo ng solid waste management facilities kabilang na dito ang materials recovery facilities, sanitary landfills at recycling equipment.
“While we strive to put up various solid waste management facilities throughout cities and municipalities, these are not the only means to solve the country’s garbage problem. There will come a time that these facilities may not function, or even reach their maximum capacity,” saad ni Cimatu.
“Year by year, our population grows, thereby resource consumption and waste generation increases. If an unsustainable lifestyle continues, disposal facilities will not be able to contain it, the environmental impact of wastes inevitably returns to us. It’s high time for all Filipinos to realize that practicing a sustainable lifestyle is as important as solid waste management,” pagbibigay-diin nito.
Sa ginanap na webinar noong Enero 17 na kabilang sa month-long activities para sa anibersaryo ng paglagda ng RA 9003, ibinunyag ni DENR-EMB Assistant Director Vizminda A. Osorio na ang bawat Pilipino ay may average na 0.4 kilograms ng solid waste kada araw.
Kung susumahin sa kasalukuyang populasyon ng bansa noong 2021 na 110 milyon, tinatayang aabot sa 44 million kilograms ng solid waste ang natatambak kada araw.
Hinikayat ni Orosio ang mga participants na gawin ang ‘sustainable living’ upang mabawasan ang personal at societal environmental impact sa pamamagitan ng pagpapatupad ng ‘positive behavioral adjustments’ upang mabawasan ang climate change at matutukan ang iba pang environmental concerns.
“Making lifestyle changes allow you also to save money, become more organic, become more involved in your community and, of course, it will contribute to a healthier way of life. Sustainability enhances our quality of life while also safeguarding our ecosystem and natural resources for future generations,” sabi ni Osorio.
“We can do better by embracing a sustainable lifestyle–by raising our consciousness on our carbon footprint, reducing energy consumption, becoming eco-friendly, and altering our life,” dagdag nito.
“Before you buy, stop and think. Consider how much you need it before charging it to your wallet or your credit card. Likewise, before you throw, stop and think. We can repair, we can reuse, we can repurpose or we can recycle before it ends its life,” aniya pa.
Ayon kay Osorio, upang magsilbing halimbawa ng sustainability, inisyu ng gobyerno ang National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC) Resolution No. 1363, Series of 2020 o “Directing the DENR to prepare and implement the banning of the use of unnecessary single-use plastics by national government agencies, local government units’ offices, and all other government-controlled offices,”
Samantala, sinabi pa ni Osorio na ang DENR-EMB ay nagkaroon ng Integrated Information System o ISS na isang paperless system na nagkakaroon ng real-time reporting ng data at statistics at maging ang inspection reports ng solid waste management facilities mula sa EMB regional offices. ###
