THE Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (IDIS) urged the Dabawenyos to recycle the campaign materials, especially the unattended ones that had been taken down after the May 9 national and local elections.
Atty. Mark Peñalver, IDIS executive director, said that even though the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) and local candidates started taking down campaign materials, there are still materials left in the street and unattended, the main reason they encouraged the public to recycle.
“Daghan pa gihapon koy makita nga mga campaign materials nga nakasangit pa gihapon. Wala gihapon sya nakuha or late na-collect sa mga candidates (I can still see a lot of campaign materials hanged or not collected),” Peñalver said.
“This is an alarming concern as these wastes should be collected, recycled, or disposed of properly. If allowed to remain, this can cause choking of drainage systems, urban wildlife ingestion, and waste pollution, and grow larger and may attract both solid and hazardous waste dumping, thereby generating an adverse impact on humans and the environment.” IDIS posted on their Facebook page.
IDIS said that the public can send the tarpaulins and other recyclable campaign materials to Lunhaw Awardee, Elena Mabano who upcycles campaign materials such as tarpaulins and turns them into bags and wallets.
Mabano said that she decided to repurpose the campaign materials like tarpaulins and turn them into bags and wallets to avoid solid waste management problems.
“Sa tibook Pilipinas mao ni ang daghang basura nga atong makita og naghatag problema sa solid waste management,” Mabaso said in an interview with SunStar Davao.
According to Mabano she already made three bags as of this writing but the project has been put on hold due to insufficient materials.
Mabano can be reached out through her mobile number at 09095179816 to donate materials for the project including the retrieved campaign materials.
Meanwhile, Ecowaste Coalition released reusing and repurposing ideas for election campaign materials such as book covers made of plastic covers, cardboard posters ideas for folders, envelopes, bookmarks, candle wax drippers, card and storage containers, memo and scratch pads made of flyers and sample ballots with a blank side, and shoe bags, tote bags, laundry bags, tool waist bags, sack bags, shoulder bags, and apron made of tarpaulins.