THE City Council of Tacloban scheduled a public hearing Tuesday morning, October 29, to get the opinion of the residents over the proposed “Plastic-Free” ordinance to preserve the environment and reduce the waste in the city.
Councilor Aimee Delgado-Grafil, environmental committee chairperson, said public consultation is important “for the enhancement of the proposed ordinance” which seeks to ban the use of single-use plastic in the city.
“The ordinance has been crafted,” said Delgado-Grafil.
“The proposed ordinance is lined with the 3-phase Solid Waste Management Plan of the local government under Mayor Alfred Romualdez that seeks to improve its garbage collection and segregation at source to protect the environment and reduce the cost of solid waste disposal,” added Henry James Roca of the City Information Office.
Citing a recent waste characterization study, Roca said Tacloban collected an average of 113 tons of trash daily, of which 65 percent is biodegradable and 22 percent is residual.
“Non-recyclable residual waste should end up at the landfill,” he said.
Meanwhile, Roca said the city will tap the schools and other private establishments for a “massive information drive” on the proposed measure.
“The plan intends to extend the holding capacity of the Sanitary landfill which was opened last February and impose stricter penalties provided under RA (Republic Act) 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, on uncooperative residents and derelict garbage contractors,” he said. (SunStar Philippines)