SINCE the start of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic, Davao City generated around 600 tons of garbage per day, according to the Davao City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro).
Cenro head Marivic Reyes said the city's average volume of collected garbage is around 600 to 650 tons per day since the Covid-19 pandemic hit the city in March 2020 until present.
For March 2021, the city recorded an average of 620 tons.
However, this does not include those collected by Ancillary Service Unit during its cleanup drive in canals.
The figure is slightly lower compared to the average 900 tons of garbage per day in 2019, during pre-pandemic.
Reyes said that despite the closure of large establishments, including hotels, the volume of waste collected remains high due to waste generated within households.
"Ma-question gani sa amo ang uban, ngano daghan man gihapon ang volume collected considering na ang ubang establishments, mga hotel, kay sarado. Ngano daghan gihapon ang ma-declare nga collection? (We were questioned why we still collected a high volume of garbage despite the closure of most establishments, and hotels)," she said.
She added, "Considering nga daghan tao na sa balay-balay. Ang pamaagi karon kay dili na sila mukaon sa gawas, magpa-deliver nalang sila sa balay. (Considering that most of the people are at home, people would rather order food online)."
The official said household waste is a major contributor to the waste generated per day.
The gradual resumption of business establishment and offices had also contributed to the continuous increase of collected waste, she said.
Despite continuous information drive, Reyes admitted that the majority of Dabawenyos do not practice waste segregation, which is mandated under Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.
"To be honest, malisudan ko, considering... Kinahanglan namo ang kooperasyon sa barangay (we are struggling in the implementation. That is why we need the cooperation of the barangays)," the Cenro head said, emphasizing the responsibility of the barangay officials to enforce the Solid Waste law.
Out of the 182 city barangays, only around 30 percent practice solid waste management and that have material recovery facilities (MRF).
The main function of the MRF is to maximize the quantity of recyclables processed, while producing materials that will generate the highest possible revenues in the market. MRFs can also process wastes into a feedstock for biological conversion through composting and anaerobic digestion.
As of Friday, April 23, only five barangays in the city have MRF. These are Barangays Hizon, Gumalang, Mahayag, Tacunan, and Catalunan Grande.
Reyes said it is important to practice solid waste management, including the non-throwing of biodegradables, as Cenro will only collect residuals.
Currently, the sanitary landfill in New Carmen, Tugbok has accumulated around 900,000 tons of garbage since 2016, exceeding its maximum capacity level of 700,000 to 800,000 tons.
Reyes said the city's landfill operation is still manageable despite exceeding its capacity. But she said there is already a need to expand the current landfill.
She said the City Government is working on expanding the New Carmen landfill.
With the passage of the "No to Single-Use Plastics Ordinance of 2021" in the 19th City Council early March this year, which regulates the sale, distribution, and use of single-use plastics in the city, Reyes said they will be intensifying the information campaign down to the barangays.
Reyes told SunStar Davao in a previous interview that the regulation on single-use plastic could help decongest the city’s landfill.