CENTRAL Luzon residents were urged to practice proper waste management during the recent environmental education lecture series conducted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Central Luzon to reduce waste generation and protect rivers from pollution.
DENR Central Luzon information officer Donaver Guevarra noted that the massive information and education campaign aimed to engage local leaders and barangay officials in curbing municipal waste problems by encouraging their constituents to segregate their trash at home and to reduce their consumption of single-used plastics.
Records from the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) shows that Central Luzon generated 1,734,746 kilos of wastes in 2020, and this figure was expected to increase by 2 to 3 percent, yielding 1,772,660 kilos of wastes by the end of 2021.
“Waste segregation seems basic, but it takes too much discipline to religiously practice it. It may be time-consuming, but it is essential to sort these wastes at household level to prevent them from polluting our river systems and our environment in general,” Guevarra said.
The EMB regional office also reported that the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic posed significant increase to the region’s waste generation, where medical wastes, mostly composed of face masks, face shield and other personal protective equipment (PPE), produced more than 400 kilos.
Given this, Guevarra encouraged the public to separate the used face masks and gloves from regular household wastes, as they are considered hazardous and pose danger to health and the environment.
He added that amid the pandemic and local quarantine status, the DENR would continuously go on ground to meet local leaders and residents and to promote ecological solid waste management, river protection and biodiversity conservation.
This year, the DENR has already conducted 72 environmental education lectures using a blended approach of online platforms and face-to-face interaction participated in by more than 2,000 local government leaders, teachers, student leaders, and members of peoples' organizations in Central Luzon.
The DENR is set to conduct another series of environmental education lectures to various barangays in Tarlac, Pampanga and Olongapo City before the end of the year.