(PNA photo by Liza T. Agoot)
BAGUIO CITY – Residents turned over more than 645 kilograms of electronic waste to the city government in just 13 days, reflecting growing public participation in proper waste segregation, officials said Monday.
The City Environment and Parks Management Office said the collected e-waste included unusable printers, laptops, telecommunications equipment, laminators, monitors, insect killers and fax machines.
CEPMO Assistant Head Marivic Empiso said the items were weighed, inventoried and brought to the Bakakeng Central Treatment, Storage and Disposal-Materials Recovery Facility for proper dismantling.
Empiso warned that e-waste may contain hazardous substances such as mercury, lead, cadmium and arsenic, which can contaminate soil and water and pose health risks when improperly disposed of.
Of the total 645.1 kilograms collected, 544.9 kilograms came from 10 barangays between Aug. 31 and Sept. 13, while another 100.2 kilograms were gathered during the Ecological Waste Management and Sustainability Fair held from Sept. 11 to 13.
Mayor Benjamin Magalong said the city aims to cut waste generation by at least 20 percent through an expanded circular economy program focused on reducing, reusing and repurposing materials.
He said the city has adopted the “pansa-nopen tayo” framework to integrate waste reduction, reuse and repurposing into local policy while creating value from materials that would otherwise be sent to landfills.
Magalong said the program could also help reduce the city’s annual hauling and tipping expenses, which average Php 250 million.
The city is also incorporating lessons on proper waste segregation and responsible consumption into school programs to help young people develop sustainable waste-management habits.
Residents may bring electronic waste directly to the Bakakeng Central facility even outside regular eco-fairs. The city government may also arrange pickup of bulky e-waste upon coordination with residents.
