Evaluation of waste diversion effects through a low-cost, gravity-driven waste sorting plant in San Carlos City, Philippines

Abstract

Solid Waste Management (SWM) is a serious and rapidly growing problem not only in the Philippines but in many developing countries. Waste generation and the variety of the waste material mix are increasing especially in fast growing urban centers. To answer this, the Philippines passed a new waste management law, the Republic Act 9003, in January 2001. However, many municipalities in the Philippines still struggle to upgrade their SWM system accordingly stating budget and expertise constraints as main reasons. San Carlos City, Negros Occidental together with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH established a new SWM system using low-cost technology. The system includes among others a gravity-driven facility to sort and recover the collected waste materials. The study demonstrates that in the context of a developing country the approach to establish low-cost technologies to increase waste diversion rates to more than 60% proved successful and could be replicated under certain conditions.