NO BURN Pilipinas is urging local government units to not push for the establishment of waste-to-energy (WTE) facilities will as it will "derail efforst at proper waste management."
At ptesent Davao City is in the process of developing a WTE facility in the city that will be funded by the Japanese Government through the the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica).
"While waste-to-energy seems appealing as a solution to waste management and energy issues, they undermine recycling efforts, renewable energy alternatives, and they may actually consume more energy than they produce," said No Burn Pilipinas in a statement.
The organization pointed out theat WTE facilities "produce toxic emissions that harm both people and plants as well as greenhouse gases, which contribute to global warming."
Instead of pouring investments into WTE facilities, LGUs are urged to invest in proper recyling efforts and reduction of waste products.
No Burn Pilipinas campaign manager Glenn Ymata said on Tuesday, November 27, in a phone interview that WTE facilities require significant volume of wastes.
He pointed out that these facilities may not be as effective as they need to be because the type of wastes in the Philippines are not well segregated, which may lead to difficulties in processing it in the machines.
Ymata also said WTE can be harmful to humans as it can possibly cause health issues in the respiratory and circulatory systems because of the gases produced from the burned wastes.