CITY OF SAN FERNANDO—The city government has entered into an agreement with a cement manufacturer to swap solid waste for bags of cement. Republic Cement and Building Materials Inc. (RCBMI) agreed to give five bags of cement in exchange for a ton of baled plastic waste or a ton of tires, and 10 bags for a ton of shredded plastic waste, said Ma. Regina Rodriguez, the city environment officer. Republic Cement will use the waste as an alternative fuel for its kiln. In the agreement, signed by Mayor Edwin Santiago and RCBMI president Renato Sunico, both parties stressed that they “do not encourage the use of plastic to generate more waste in exchange for free cement.” “We are disposing of accumulated nonrecyclable waste instead of throwing them in a landfill,” Rodriguez said. Households and business establishments in the city’s 35 villages produce 250,000 kilos of solid waste daily that are biodegradable and recyclable.
Story is by Tonette Orejas and was first published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer on July 19, 2020.