The local government unit (LGU) of Sta. Ana said it is saving more than P700,000 a month after improving its waste segregation and operations at its Materials Recovery Facility (MRF).
This was bared recently by the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO).
Data from the Sta. Ana MENRO showed that all garbage collected from the town's barangays is now transported to the MRF for processing.
Waste is immediately sorted into biodegradable, recyclable, residual, and upcycled materials to minimize the volume sent to sanitary landfills.
Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Officer Dolf Mallari said biodegradable waste is processed into organic fertilizer.
Recyclable materials are sold and non-recyclable items, such as plastic bottles, are converted into pavement bricks for use in local government infrastructure projects.
Only residual waste is transferred to sanitary landfills, he added.
The current system replaced the former dumpsite in Barangay San Nicolas, which was closed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in early 2021.
The old facility operated as an illegal open dumpsite in violation of Republic Act 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.
The DENR issued a cease-and-desist order and required the municipal government to implement a closure and rehabilitation plan.
MENRO records showed that before the improvements, the local government transported an average of 34 truckloads of garbage to sanitary landfills each month, costing about ?925,000.
This volume has been reduced to seven truckloads monthly, lowering disposal costs to around ?200,000.
The reduction in waste volume resulted in monthly savings of more than ?700,000 for the local government, MENRO data showed.
Mayor Dinan Labung said addressing the municipality’s waste management issues was a priority even before he assumed office.
The mayor said he ordered the implementation of programs on improving garbage collection and waste processing facilities.
He added that development at the Sta. Ana MRF will continue, with further upgrades planned.
The facility has also been converted into productive space, with gardens and livestock.
The local government said these initiatives benefit garbage collectors and nearby residents.