Garbage Disposal Problem in PPC

One of the toughest jobs the new mayor, Mayor Bayron, is confronting the solid wastes generated in the City of Puerto Princesa. Removing garbage from the streets requires a considerable number of garbage trucks. Reportedly, its once seven working trucks are now beefed up to 15. They will collect trash from 6 pm to 6 am to avoid messing out with a hectic traffic at daytime as well as prevent the foul smell from pervading the air. This, however, is just a dry run. They still have to study its advantages and disadvantages.

I think that's an excellent approach to waste management. I just hope there are no more animal scavengers going through the trash and spread it all throughout. I see this scenario when I jog in the morning.

This will be a relief for the Puerto Princesans as garbage along the roads are unsightly. Puerto Princesa is known as one of the cleanest cities in the Philippines. But of course, this is not achieved without the required infrastructure and personnel to carry out. The residents also have to do their share in maintaining the cleanliness of the city.

I have been trying to figure out what is the best way to deal with the garbage that we produce ourselves in our house. My students once did a study and they found out that a large portion of the solid waste generated in the city is coming from domestic sources, i.e., from households. 

Practice What You Preach

Practice what you preach, so they say. And we did do something with our waste at home.

A very simple approach to handling waste and reduce the amount you need to throw out there for the garbage trucks to collect is to separate the biodegradables (nabubulok) from the non-biodegradables (di-nabubulok). This is quite an easy matter to do. It just takes a little willpower to do it the first time and to sustain it.

I read somewhere that to develop a habit, you have to do the thing at least 22 times, or 22 repetitions to make it a part of your system. Hence, it would take almost a month to do that.

I came up with a simple idea of disposing plastic wastes that could be applied by anyone. You just have to fold it and tie it altogether to compress the whole thing so that it will occupy a small space. That simple. 

Another way is to put all those plastic or non-biodegradable material into a plastic bottle. I find this effective especially when I travel. I thought about this idea while on travel in Cuyo. Mindful that my wastes would accrue in the trash of the small island, I placed all of my waste inside a plastic bottle. After about a week, the 500 ml water bottle was just filled up with folded or knotted empty shampoo sachets, snack wrappers, candy wrappers, etc. I then brought the bottle back with me so nothing was added in the wastes of Cuyo.