INSTEAD of simply throwing kilos of used paper from its office, the Department of Education (DepEd) in Mandaue City has developed an innovative solution to manage solid waste while generating funds for its various projects.
DepEd Mandaue City administrative officer Edgar Espina, Jr. said they repurpose discarded materials like old documents, kraft papers, and cartolina and turn them into charcoal for cooking.
Espina said schools within their division collect two to three kilos of paper waste each week.
“There’s a lot of papers that we no longer use; some of which is just thrown away. I saw the potential for these papers to be repurposed as charcoal, which is useful for cooking,” Espina told reporters on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024.
He said the process starts by soaking the paper overnight, after which it is shredded and compacted into charcoal using a manual presser. The school uses a paper shredding machine to process documents that may contain confidential information.
The resulting charcoal is then sold for P30 per kilo, with teachers being the primary customers.
“By recycling our office waste into charcoal, I can say we’ve contributed to helping the environment,” said Espina.
Espina said the initiative, which began in 2021 under the leadership of their former schools division superintendent, has been successfully sustained and continues to expand.
While the charcoal produced generates between P800 and P1,000 in monthly sales, Espina emphasized that the primary focus is on sustainability, not profit.
He said the funds they will raise will be used to build a “kubo” as a resting area within DepEd Mandaue area, as well as to support other necessary projects.
Espina added that this innovative approach to waste management aligns with efforts to promote environmental awareness among students by integrating solid waste management (SWM) lessons into the public school curriculum.
As part of this program, subjects like Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Chemistry, and Physics, as well as practical activities and field trips, are tied into SWM discussions to provide students with hands-on experience in managing waste.
Moreover, Espina said evaluations of the program’s effectiveness, covering the second quarter from July 29 to Oct. 10, have recorded a 50 percent rating in terms of successful implementation.
“We’ve already seen improvements in how students manage waste”, Espina said.
“They are becoming responsible stewards of the environment, promoting a culture of waste reduction and effective waste management practices within their schools, communities, and beyond,” he added in Cebuano.
By linking these lessons to various subjects, the program ensures that students understand the importance of waste segregation and resource management. / CAV