THE Cebu City Solid Waste Management Board has submitted to the City Council the City’s 10-year ecological solid waste management (ESWM) plan.

The ESWM plan was formulated to establish a clear road map aimed at reducing the city’s solid waste and lay out plans for the appropriate implementation of the integrated management system.

It includes plans on the closure and rehabilitation of the Inayawan Sanitary Landfill and continuous monitoring and improvement of material recovery facilities (MFRs) in the barangays.

It also includes the heightened stakeholders’ satisfaction with the City’s programs and projects for solid waste management.

Although the current practice of segregation, collection, processing and disposal of solid waste is effective, the plan cites the need to adopt new technologies to catch up with the daily solid waste generation of residential units and commercial and industrial establishments.

The ESWM plan will ensure the appropriate implementation of the solid waste management system from 2018 to 2028.

At present, the Full Advantage Phils International Inc. (FAPII) is undertaking the closure and rehabilitation of the 15.4-hectare landfill in Inayawan.

As specified in the closure and rehabilitation plan included in the ESWM plan, an industrial or economic zone, recreational eco-park and renewable energy center are among the plans for the property.

The City closed the landfill last Dec. 16, 2016 with 1.19 million cubic meters of municipal solid waste deposits, sloping at 7.1 percent with highest elevation of 15 meters. It reached its storage capacity seven years after it opened in 1998.

The final soil cover, leachate management, gas vent system, prevention of illegal dumping, vegetation and social action plan for the affected waste pickers were also laid out by FAPII. (RVC)