COMMUNITIES

Everyone Can Make a Difference

Marc Magsalin, Chair XS Waste Management Committee 2006

Updated Tuesday, 28-Nov-2006 7:45 AM

     According to environmental experts, in the next 30 years, metro manila will generate over 230 million cubic meters of solid waste, an amount that equates to  a “knee deep” layer of waste over the entire metropolis…which would fill the largest shopping mall in our country over 175 times. You can probably do some math here but the data alone indeed sounds very alarming and disturbing and it doesn’t even have to require an expert to realize that our garbage situation is really bad.

     Thus, there is an urgent need to respond. Our waste management committee has been in place for about five years now. It was instituted mainly to address the schools’ problems on garbage collection in response to  Republic Act 9003 or the Solid Waste Management Act of 2002 and the San Juan Municipal Ordinance on Solid waste segregation mandating among others, institutions such as our school to implement proper waste segregation practices.

     For the last five years, our thrust has been to make sure that every member of the Xavier community is aware of the proper solid waste management practices. Promoting awareness is only one thing actual practice is another. It is with the latter that we have had problems.   Recently, we’ve seen a significant rise in the amount of mixed-up garbage. Used plastics and napkins with leftover food, tetra paks and glass bottles with non-recyclables and many more. In short, we’ve not been very consistent.

     Whenever we forget to throw for example a recyclable waste such as a used plastic cup or bottle in the yellow can for recyclables, we create problems. Not only do we contribute to making our environment dirty, but more importantly, we create opportunities for people to pick-up waste in dumpsites.

     You see, if a used plastic cup or bottle ends up in the blue trash can for non-recyclables, they get mixed with trash that are collected and transported to dumpsites. Dumpsites as you know, are places where all the garbage in metro manila are thrown.  Many people, most of them kids), some as young as 5  years old, work in these dumpsites everyday to pick used plastics, glass, and other items to be sold in exchange for a small amount of money.

     You would agree with me that these dumpsites are dangerous places to work in. Many of these waste pickers get sick because they are exposed to dirt as well as the unpleasant smell of garbage.

     We can prevent these people from working in these dangerous dumpsites by throwing our garbage especially our recyclables in the proper containers. Whenever we do this, we help save lives and we contribute to the cleanliness of our environment. With proper waste disposal, we are sure that recyclable garbage—those that could be used again, would reach recycling factories/facilities with trained and well-protected personnel and not dumpsites or the hands of young waste pickers and scavengers.

     We are all producers of waste and therefore, we all have to be responsible for our actions. The simple act of throwing waste in its proper container will go a long way. If we manage our garbage, we can prevent a lot of damage. This is our slogan and our responsibility.

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