The Manila City government, in partnership with the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission (PRRC) and various private companies, on Saturday launched an incentivized plastic waste collection program as part of efforts to address the country's waste problem and save Pasig River from pollution.
Manila Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna said the community-based program dubbed as 'Kolek, Kilo, Kita para Walastik na Maynila' aims to maintain a healthy relationship among residents, the local government unit (LGU) and private partners in protecting the environment.
“Residents here are encouraged to collect their light plastic wastes and surrender it to the Unilever Philippines, every kilo of plastic waste corresponds a PHP10 worth of Unilever's home care products as their incentive,” Lacuna said.
Unilever Philippines chairman and chief executive officer Benjie Yap said collection centers are installed in every barangay accessible to the residents.
The collection of the plastic waste materials will be twice or once a month depending on the agreed schedules of a certain barangay and Unilever counterparts. Yap added the company will be accepting plastic waste products-regardless of its brand, as long as these are recyclable.
Unilever Philippines has been doing the same measure through its Misis Walastik program where single-use sachets are converted into chairs, cement pavers and fuel for energy.
The program was piloted at 36 barangays of Tondo and Punta, Sta. Ana. It would also be done at the creek-nearby (estero) communities based on the PRRC's recommendations.
Based on the 2017 Solid Waste Report of the Senate Economic Planning Office (SEPO), the country's waste generation increased to 40,087.45 tons in 2016 with an estimated average per capita waste generation of 0.40 kilograms per day.
Source: PNA
