DESPITE Cebu City’s ongoing challenges with waste segregation, Barangay Basak San Nicolas is addressing its problem with plastic through its “Basura in a Bottle” program.
The barangay has collected 5,000 tons of plastic waste since February through its program, which offers school supplies and canned goods in exchange for plastic bottles.
To illustrate, an empty one-liter polyethylene terephthalate (PET) weighs around 20 grams. A PET plastic bottle is a type of plastic commonly used for packaging beverages, foods, and other products.
Thus, 5,000 tons of one-liter plastic bottles is equivalent to approximately 250 million bottles.
Basak San Nicolas’ “Basura in a Bottle” program follows City Ordinance 2031, which mandates waste segregation, but enforcement has been hindered by resistance from residents, according to the Department of Public Services.
In an earlier report, improper waste management is still a challenge for the city, according to the Department of Public Services, which oversees collecting garbage from major thoroughfares. From January to June 2024, the city collected 104,009.58 tons of garbage, slightly less than the 104,281 tons collected during the same period in 2023.
Initiated by Barangay Captain Norman Navarro, the Basura in a Bottle program encourages residents to exchange plastic waste for school supplies and
canned goods.
The program initially offered three pencils and three ballpens for every kilogram of plastic waste to students, Barangay Councilor Giovanni Tabada told the Cebu City Government’s news and commentary program on Aug. 27, 2024.
To attract more students and residents to the program, Tabada said the program now offers a can of goods and a notebook for every two kilograms of plastic.
Tabada said that at least P100,000 was allocated to the program this year, with plans to increase the budget next year to provide rice as an incentive.
The program, inspired by the City Management Office, aims to reduce plastic waste on streets, in canals, and along walkways.
Tabada and his team have visited all 42 sitios in Basak San Nicolas to promote the initiative and have employed 20 Barangay Environmental Officers to help enforce it. These officers also educate residents on Republic Act 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2002, and the importance of segregating garbage at homes.
The Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office has recognized Barangay Basak San Nicolas for its effective solid waste management efforts. It is now one of four pilot areas for a proposed trash-for-cash program.
Tabada is also seeking partnerships with organizations, such as Project Hope (Health Opportunities for People Everywhere), which runs the “Aling Tindera” program, to buy the collected plastic waste. / CDF