Waste to Energy Initiatives at the Local Level

The problem on solid waste has been and still remains as a major problem in the Philippines especially in developing countries where proper facilities for collection and disposal are not always available. In Metro Manila alone, daily waste generation stands at 8,600 tons coming from a population 12.8M. The infrastructure has already reached its maximum capacity resulting to major upsets in environmental quality. The sheer volume of solid waste generated daily poses a big challenge for disposal options since reuse and recycling methods are the only the socially acceptable options. Incineration though not strictly banned by law has never been initiated apparently due to lack of a scientific understanding of the process and its appreciation as a safe and viable process of handling solid waste. Meanwhile, depletion of available capacities of sanitary landfills proceeds at an accelerated phase because of the sheer volume of solid waste to be disposed compounded by the reluctance to implement waste to energy options of waste disposal. In a bid to address the issue, the Philippine Congress legislated a law to require all local government units (LGU) in the country to develop a comprehensive solid waste management plan. Notwithstanding these efforts, the problem remains far from over. The volume of waste ending up in the landfill continues to be the dominant concern. Should the the problem persist, hazards, ground and surface water contamination, flooding, air pollution and spread of diseases will continue to present major problems. Hence, initiatives to reduce the volume of waste that is both environmental sound and sustainable is called for. A waste to energy (WTE) path can easily fulfill these requirements. This paper provides information on WTE developments in the Philippines seeking to encourage LGUs to consider WTE as one of the waste diversion methods in promoting environmentally sound management (ESM) of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW). Complementing this objective is for the country’s Department of Energy (DOE) to change its policy on Renewable Energy (RE) to include solid waste as part of the biomass category and incorporating market driven incentives to encourage investors and waste practitioners to choose WTE as a sustainable approach in managing MSW while considering the triple bottom line (TBL) approach (Profit, People and Planet) to ensure sustainability.