Government-run Programs and Services

[blueguy]

Originally Posted by dancethingy

Van1975, that's a very very modern system. Is that the system being used only at Fort Bonifacio or all of Metro Manila? Here at Quezon City they have signs all over UP Diliman that "We are being served by the most modern water treatment facility blah blah blah," I hope that's the facility you are talking about. My dad and I actually want to go see the process, but we're not sure if they would let us in "for a look."

I think Bayani is focusing on sewage, traffic, and then street cleanliness right now. I think a modern recycling collection system needs to be enforced here. Like the blue bag program we have in Chicago, blue bags are used for recyclables. Did you guys know that some cities in Japan separate their garbage into as much as 44 categories. Crazy, but how diligent and dedicted of them huh?

If any of you here live in a subdivision within the Philippines, maybe you can suggest to your neighborhood committees a collection program for recyclables. I mean its not that hard to wash recyclables and then set them aside. Then after setting them aside someone from your subdivision can employ someone from a less fortunate neighborhood (like a squatter) to collect the recyclables and then they can cash out on it. I know that trash collection here requires garbagemen to separate waste and recyclables, but won't separating them at home make their lives easier?

FYI Iloilo City right now is implementing in all its 200 barangays the "No segregation, no collection" Policy. This is in connection with RA 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000. It actually prohibits LGU's to use an open pit dumpsite by 2006. By that time, it is expected that all LGU's must convert their open pit dumpsite into a Sanitary Landfill.

In every barangays here in Iloilo City, there are these MRF's (Materials Recovery Facilties) which are run by respective barangays. Waste segregation is already done in this site which seperates plastics, papers, organic wastes/market wastes and others. Those that cannot be sold (income goes directly to barangay funds) to local junk shops are being brought to the dumpsite...then all market wastes, i.e. fruit and vegetable peelings, etc. are shredded and mixed with soil making it an organic fertilizer which is very good in growing organic vegetables. Our mayor is actually very supportive in this program, that once, our city is the dirtiest but right now we are the cleanest in the region and have been a finalist in the national competition. So I guess, people should be aware of these programs...

[sandrin]

23 local firms use environment-friendly waste water system
by MELODY M. AGUIBA

Germany-based Bayer, which pioneered in waste water treatment back in the early 1900s, has taken a hand in imparting to 23 Filipino companies an advanced sewage treatment technique (STT), cutting waste water disposal that would otherwise degrade the environment.

"We have perfected it in 1999, and then we allowed a contractor to use it for other sewage treatment projects. Now we’ve shared this to 23 companies free of charge," said Ma. Theresa Cayton, Bayer Crops Science (BCS) plant manager, said in a plant tour.

These firms that have used BCS’s STT are Yazaki-Torres Manufacturing Inc., Rohm Apollo Semiconductor Philippines Inc., EDS Manufacturing Inc., Centro Sagara Metro Plastics Industrial Corp., Executive Plaza Hotel, United Architects of the Philippines, Emilio Aguinaldo College Sports and Cultural Center, Centralized STT for Edsa Central and United Laboratories.

Condominiums, hospitals, and shopping malls which have begun using the STT are Alexandra Condominium, Baywatch Hills Condominium, Virra Mall, Our Lady of Peace Charity Hospital, Madison Manor Condominium, Agoo Provincial Hospital, Centro Escolar University, Hospital of the Infant Jesus, and Shoe Mart Cubao.

The STT which uses the activated sludge or ABC process is known for its efficiency since it locates the function of aeration and flocculation in just one chamber. A cramped 25 to 40 square meter area can thus clean a 200 cubic meter waste water in just four hours, requiring less than one-fourth of a traditional waste water plant while cutting cleaning hours by at least 50 percent.
Cayton explains BCS’s waste water treatment system’s key to efficiency is its powerful aeration system.
"It is the air that causes decomposition of organic matter. The more air there is, the faster the decomposition of waste," she said.
BCS has adopted its waste water system in aim to throw off clean water to the San Cristobal River, a nearby river in its plant in Canlubang, Laguna, where BCS used to dispose of its waste water. The company eventually decided to reuse all its treated domestic water for watering the lawn and other purposes, bringing substantial savings from water consumption.

[pau_p1]

nice article... I hope more companies follow the above 23 companies... if Manila can produce less waste water.. it would be much better... and would definitely aide in the restoration of our waterways.... ;D

[sandrin]

Manila Water launches RP’s first sustainability report
The Philippine Star 07/12/2005

A local company that provides drinking water to over five million customers in Metro Manila recently launched the Philippines’ first ever sustainability report at the Asian Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Expo held at the Westin Philippine Plaza.

Manila Water Co., a water and wastewater services concessionaire under the Ayala Group, launched the report, which uses the internationally-recognized Global Reporting Initiatives (GRI) guidelines to measure its impacts on the environment from which it derives its resources and the communities that it comes into contact with.

"Manila Water’s battlecry should aptly be called ‘water for life’ as its corporate social responsibility initiatives are so intertwined and its core business of reducing systems losses, or non-revenue water, and expanding its services to as many customers as possible, especially to the urban poor," observed Education Undersecretary Juan Miguel Luz, of keynote speaker at the launch.

Sonny Carpio, president of the League of Corporate Foundations (LCF), organizer of the Asian CSR Expo, cited Manila Water’s managers and engineers for ‘weighing environmental and social issues as part of their decision-making.’

"The report shows that sustainable development issues lie at the heart of what Manila Water does. It clearly doesn’t make business sense for a company in their line of work to separate environmental and social concerns from its mainstream strategic considerations," Carpio said.

Manila Water’s sustainability report is the first of its kind in the Philippines. It benchmarks the company’s performance against international best practices in environmental and social performance, as well as corporate governance.

Among the report’s concerns are those that provide challenges to the company to make a difference in the lives of the people it serves. These include programs to protect the watersheds from which surface water is derived, programs that harness additional water sources to meet the demands of an increasing population, and programs that ensure safety along the water distribution system’s right-of-way.

"The report articulates what we have always instinctively known at Manila Water – that our long term viability as a business is very much dependent on our ability to manage the environment from which we derive our resources, and on our relationships with the communities," said Manila Water president Antonino T. Aquino.

Manila Water’s sustainability report was put together by a team of senior managers who meet regularly to discuss community, labor, financial and environmental challenges that face the company.

"Future issues of the report will focus more on the field of corporate governance," said Jeric Sevilla, Manila Water’s sustainable development manager. "While the company has always upheld transparency and accountability as corporate values, we acknowledge that these still need to be articulated by way of policies and manuals."

Manila Water’s initial public offering (IPO) in the first quarter of 2005 makes the following year an opportune time to focus on the systems and procedures that govern the company and contribute to its transparency as a business entity.

"We hope this report will become a key tool to engage our stakeholders," said Aquino. "Manila Water has much to learn from its customers, employees, and neighbors. A sustainability report which tackles a diverse set of views helps us frame more effective business decisions."

Manila Water supplies drinking water and wastewater services to over five million people in Metro Manila’s east zone: Makati, Marikina, Pasig, Taguig, Pateros, San Juan, Mandaluyong, Quezon City, San Andres and Sta, Ana in Manila, Cainta, Taytay, Montalban, and the Rizal towns of Antipolo, Angono, Binangonan, Baras, and Jala-Jala.

[KulasKusgan]

GenSan revives interest in costly water treatment project
By Bong S. Sarmiento/MindaNews / 17 July 2005


GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- The city government has renewed its interest to implement a multi-million-peso sewage treatment project (STP) it abandoned about two years ago, it was learned Sunday.

Dr. Romeo Basada, project director of the Southern Mindanao Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project (SMICZMP), said they offered to build a P523-million STP to contain pollution at the 214,000-hectare Sarangani Bay, a rich marine ground depended on by people here and Sarangani province.

SMICZMP, which is supervised by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), is a project funded by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC).

Although Mayor Pedro Acharon supported the project, the city council in 2003 voted against the purchase of a six-hectare lot in Barangay Baluan, which is the local government’s counterpart to the STP.

Local legislators also called off the STP due to the estimated P8 million annual cost of operating and maintaining the sewage treatment facility, the locality’s other counterpart aside from the land.

But two weeks ago, Basada said the city council passed Resolution No. 253 Series of 2005 signifying the city’s intention to “participate in the implementation of the Septage Treatment Facilities (STF) of the SMICZMP.”

This came as preparation for the construction of seven STFs in the six municipalities of Sarangani and one in Davao del Sur, which have become the new beneficiaries of the DENR grant, are now underway after funds were diverted from STP to STF as a result of the city’s cancellation of the sewage treatment project, according to him.

Basada said the DENR and JBIC are willing to study a new project proposal that would be submitted by the city government following its renewed interest in the STP.

“We are always willing to work with General Santos City in instituting integrated ecosystems management for Sarangani Bay Protected Seascape because the city is a major source of pollutants discharged to the Bay,” Basada said.

SMICZMP sanitation expert David You warned that establishing a sanitation measure for the city at a much later time will only entail a much higher cost for the city.

“It is unreasonable to assume that General Santos City will never, in its lifetime, implement a sewerage or similar project because all developing cities eventually do,” You said.

Basada said a sewage treatment facility in the city is expected to dramatically reduce the extent of pollution discharged to Sarangani Bay and lessen the incidence of water-borne diseases particularly diarrhea.

He said local government units have been facing pressures to develop ways to safeguard their water resources with the passage of Republic Act 9275 or the Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004.

[marites]

hooray for Bayani. hope he continues with his clean drive . At least he's done more than past MMDA heads. I agree people need to help the habit of Filipinos throwing litter here and there has to change. We were endowed with one of the best naturally beautiful place environment and we need to protect it more. It is an asset which everyFilipino should help protect and be proud of.

[Mango]

‘No garbage segregation, no collection’ in Parañaque
By Michael Punongbayan
The Philippine Star 08/28/2005

The city government of Parañaque is implementing a "no segregation, no collection" policy in an effort to promote responsible garbage management and disposal.

Following an intensive and citywide education and information campaign at the barangay level, Mayor Florencio Bernabe said it was time to implement a better solid waste management scheme.

He said the program seeks to follow the provisions of Republic Act 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2001, which requires households as well as commercial and business establishments to segregate biodegradable and non-biodegradable wastes and place them in separate garbage bags, which would be collected on a weekly basis.

Biodegradable waste materials include kitchen waste like fruit peelings, vegetable discards, leftover or spoiled food as well as garden or yard litter like leaves, weeds and twigs.

Non-biodegradable garbage, on the other hand, includes metal, glass, plastic, rubber, bonded composites like foils or tetra packs, paper and cardboard, leather and cloth.

Bernabe said Parañaque currently generates more than 300 metric tons of garbage daily, of which 35 percent is biodegradable and can be composted. Close to 30 percent are considered non-biodegradable and can be recovered and recycled as "factory returnable items."

The city’s Solid Waste Management Board, which is spearheading the "no segregation, no collection" policy in close coordination with barangay officials, said about 85 percent of the garbage comes from households.

This, the mayor noted, is the very reason why segregation at the household level has become a top priority in order for the program to succeed.

"I urge and encourage all homeowners and their domestic helpers to do their share by segregating their garbage," Bernabe said. "They can compost their kitchen or garden wastes or if they don’t have space to do this, they can deposit them in biodegradable bins which their barangay officials will provide. One such bin will be provided for every cluster of 50 homes in every village or subdivision."

In Caloocan City, the local government urged residents to sort their garbage and practice recycling to lessen the waste they produce amid the work stoppage staged by employees of a garbage contractor.

Mayor Enrico "Recom" Echiverri assured the public that the city won’t be affected by the strike of Ren Transport garbage collectors, who decided to stop doing their rounds in different cities to protest the company’s unfair labor practices.

The mayor said other trucks and drivers of Ren assigned to the city that are not included in the barricade are continuing their regular garbage collection.

He said the collection was on schedule and there has been no reported backlog.

He added the local government has a contingency plan in case the collectors stop doing their rounds. He said city garbage trucks are on standby and will take over the areas assigned to the contractor.

These include Maypajo, West Grace Park and C-3 up to Rizal Avenue.

Echiverri earlier warned garbage contractors that he would terminate their services if he receives reports that they have not been following their schedule.

The mayor earlier implemented the Waste Management Program where 16 barangays were chosen to be the pilot test areas for waste segregation.

[Lili]

That is a very good initiative. We have a strict implementation of this in New York with fines involved if you don't segregate your trash. Garbage is divided into three: biodegradable wastes; recyclable paper and paper products; and recyclable bottles, metals, foils and plastics. We keep three trash bins for these with different-color plastic bags (black for biodegradable; white or tied together for paper; and blue for plastic bottles and foils). Collections are made separately for recyclables and non-recyclables. During Christmas season, the old Christmas pine trees are collected for chipping and made into wood chips, paper products and composts. For a short period of time, Mayor Bloomberg stopped the segregation of trash because he said it was costing the city more money. It was a bad move and the New Yorkers have gotten into the habit of segregating trash. Mayor Bloomberg sooner found out that trash segregation is important and cost-effective, hence, he reinstated it.

[amras]

I also wish that there are more avaiable trash cans on the streets. For me, one reason why people litter anywhere is becoz they don't see a proper place to put these things (e.g. candy wrappers, cig butts, plactic bags, etc... ), so they end up scattering around or clogging up the drainage.

[marites4]

I've seen Filipinos throw trash out on the street even if there's a trash can inside. They have the mentality that if there's street sweepers why bother, that's what they're there for. Keep the inside of your car and house immaculately clean as long as the trash is outside my house and car it's okey. It also sucks how they eat and don't buss their tables leaving everything looking like a pigsty. The poor lone busboy has clean up after thousands of people eating at the same time. The attitude really has to change first. Get them used to the habit then they'll change.

[tigidig14]

they should start playing again that old ass commercial: "ang tinapon mong basura babalik sayo"

[marites4]

They also need to decongest MetroManila. and I don't mean decongest by sending them to other smaller cities to make that city look just like another Manila. I mean less people by population control. Manila used to be just like the provinces,paradise until people ruined it. Natural resource can only support so much. It's hard to keep it clean too if there are so many people. But I think it can still be done . They should have regular clean updrives like the schools all the time not just to get in guiness world book. If you keep it clean people will feel more ashamed to dirty it up. But if it's already a pigsty people will just continue making it remain a pigsty.

[Æsahættr]

omg It makes me sooo pissed off that ppl just liter in the streets. Me and my uncle were waiting in the car and he just threw out a plastic bottle out in the road and im like why did u do that and hes like well everyone does and it just makes me mad when I see people doing that. I just want to scream at their faces!

[Mango]

Aside from waste segregation, waste reduction is a must esp. plastic bags which clogged drainage and cause floods.
Haven't you notice how we overuse plastic bags in malls, supermarkets, wet markets, etc.?
When I buy small things like ballpens, diskettes at a local bookstore in MM, I tell the the cashier that I don't need them wrapped and hoping they would just put a scotch tape with the company logo in it, but to my dismay, the cashier still proceed to get a small plastic bag and "attach" it to the goods. Haaay...


Taken from Manilatimes
BIG DEAL
By Dan Mariano
‘Bayong’ instead of plastic bags



As any metro aide will tell you, plastic bags are the main cause of flooding in the capital region and other urban areas. They choke drains, and thus prevent rainwater from naturally running off to canals, creeks and rivers. In many other countries, plastic bags have wrought havoc—sometimes of a magnitude more deadly than what we Metro Manilans have experienced thus far.

Last month, for instance, the western Indian state of Maharashtra suffered widespread flooding, which caused the death of over 1,000 people, mostly in Mumbai (Bombay). The culprit: tons and tons of plastic bags that clogged flood drains.

The man-made tragedy spurred Maharashtra authorities to take drastic action.

“Gutters choked with plastic bags caused the flooding which lead to enormous losses for the state,” the state’s chief minister was quoted by Reuters as saying in a statement. “The media and environmental and citizens’ groups demanded that plastic bags be banned, so we are banning them.”

Maharashtra adopted the ban last week, imposing a fine of 5,000 rupees (about $114) on companies, shops and other businesses caught using plastic bags. Individuals are fined 1,000 rupees for every violation.

The ban has enraged plastic bag manufacturers that annually produce 7,000 tons of plastic bags; they stand to lose $20 million annually. But Maharashtra authorities appear to have been persuaded by environmentalists and other groups not to use nonbiodegradable bags. Plastic bags do not only choke drains; they can take as much as a millennium to disintegrate and take down with them aquatic life, birds and other animals.

Bangladesh, which has suffered severe flooding too, and other Indian states, those that depend on tourism, have also imposed bans to prevent “littered bags from becoming eyesores.”

In more developed countries, notably Ireland, governments have imposed a special tax on plastic bags that has significantly cut down their use. Irish shops, for instance, do not supply customers with plastic bags unless they are willing to pay for them.

Irish authorities imposed the levy in March 2002 and after just 17 months noted “a stunning drop in the use of plastic bags, once a ubiquitous scourge along [Ireland’s] bucolic lanes, quite rivers and twisty highways.”

Irish shoppers used some 1.2 billion plastic bags annually before the levy was adopted. “Since then, [plastic bag] use dropped by around 95 percent,” said the Irish environment department. Plastic bags previously made up five percent of Ireland’s garbage; the figure has dropped to just 0.3 percent due to the levy.

Australia, the United Kingdom, South Africa and other countries were last reported to be carefully studying the Irish example.

Unfortunately, the Philippine is not one of them. That could yet change, however.

Plastic bags are made from petrochemicals that, in turn, are extracted from petroleum. With oil prices climbing to unprecedented levels, the time has never been better to look for practical alternatives.

The traditional bayong, for instance, is due for a comeback. Made from coconut leaves and other natural components, the bayong is as environment-friendly as you could get. Aside from the use of indigenous, renewable and biodegradable materials in handcrafting this native basket, bayong production can help boost the livelihood of the rural folk who make them.

[marites4]

I can see how interested Pinoys are with solving garbage issues based on the response. Given I think this is very important issue considering the burgeoning population of the Philippines, even Boracay is not immuned to this problem. AS always it will probably be crisis proportion before anything serious is done like the population explosion ticking bomb.

[Mango]

QC taps junk shops for garbage program

The Philippine Star 09/04/2005

The Quezon City government has tapped 335 junk shops in 73 barangays as material recovery facilities (MRFs) to accommodate recyclables collected by barangays that do not have facilities for garbage segregation.

Frederika Rentoy, chief of the city’s Environment Protection and Waste Management Department, said a memorandum of agreement was inked between junk shop owners and barangays to tap shops for the waste segregation, reduction and recycling program.

Earlier, Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. directed Rentoy to conduct a study on junk shops as part of the effort of the city government to regulate the operation of junk shops in the city.

"The city government is not against the operation of junk shops, but favors their regulation," Belmonte said.

Rentoy said the total waste materials gathered by junk shops is more than 300,000 kilograms per day, or about 20 per cent of the city’s total generated waste.

Several barangays have already set up their own MRF facility, where collected garbage is segregated and turned into fertilizer. – Perseus Echeminada

[Mango]

Turning trash to cash
CONSUMERLINE By Ching M. Alano
The Philippine STAR 09/13/2005

You’ve probably mastered the three Rs – reading, ’rithing, and ’rithmetic. But how much do you know of the fourth R – that is, recycling? Okay, let’s begin our lesson and talk garbage – literally. Learn from the experts in recycling. To begin with, here’s a list of people who have turned trash into cash, as provided by our eco source Gene Romero:

• Filipino inventor Gonzalo "Jun" Catan, also VP of Zero Waste Movement, makes tons of garbage into green charcoal. His contact number: 0918-4191515.

• Rolando Sianghio, who makes municipal wastes into organic fertilizer.

• Inventor Ramon Uy, who makes your garbage 50 percent compostable through his shredder.

• Tony de Castro of the Palawan Organic Farming, who’s wormed his way into vermi culture and composting.

Romero also suggests checking out the following NGOs:

• ERDA Foundation, which helps Smokey Mountain kids and adults alike recycle Smokey Mountain recyclables. Out of this mountain of refuse have come beautiful handmade paper, handpainted tees, cards, among other great buys. Wanna hear more beautiful stories from ERDA? Call 254-6759 or 254-7375 (look for Edward Arevalo or Ma. Socorro Alday).

• Tahanang Walang Hagdanan in Cainta. A team of Tahanan technicians – all physically disadvantaged but willing and able to make a difference – developed the prototype of a solar-powered carrier for disabled persons.

• Geo-farm in Bayambang, Pangasinan, which boasts bamboo farms and recycles water seven times. Its popularity has spread by word of mouth – contented mouths, that is – because of its organic lemon grass concentrate, which makes non-carbonated lemon tea and organic produce.

• Perpetual Help University Systems. Its got a proactive waste management subject/course. Recently, it trained about 1,500 nursing students, theoretical and on site. Interested parties can call Richard Tamayo, president, or Mary Jane Inocencio, director for special projects, at 874-8515 local 194.

• St. Joseph College and Miriam College. They have down-to-earth courses/projects that inspire the environmentalist in each of us. Call Angelina Galang of Miriam’s Environmental Science Institute at telefax 920-5093, 436-4736, 580-5400 local 3560.

And for all ye "junkies" out there, Planet Patrol has compiled a list of recycling centers and junk shops, many of which specialize in recycling only select materials – either bottles, paper, newspapers, wood, batteries (now, you know where to bring all those old, worn-out batteries you’ve accumulated over the years), styrofoam or metal. Or you can donate batteries to the ABS CBN Foundation’s Bantay Baterya. You will be asked to sign a donation registry at Bantay Baterya accredited gas stations. For more info, e-mail kalikasan@abs.pinoycentral.com.

Here are but a few junk-friendly shops:

• Paperland Ind. Corp., Leiland Drive, Balintawak, Quezon City; call Johanne Tan at 361-8531 – all kinds of paper

• Embuscado Trading, Mendez St., Baesa, Quezon City; call Windy Embuscado at 361-7113/362-4142 – paper recycler

• Winrock Ind. Services, Oliveros Drive, Balintawak, Quezon City; call Mimie Yee 362-4504 – plastic recycler

• Good Samaritan Foundation for the Disadvantaged, RM Commercial Arcade, Ramon Magsaysay Blvd., Quezon City; call 716-1499/716-1399 – aluminum cans

• CP Junk Shop, Tandang Sora, Quezon City – scrap metal

• AR Merchandise, Tandang Sora, Quezon City – scrap iron

• Arcadio delos Reyes, Roosevelt Ave., Quezon City; call 371-5127 – newspapers per kilo

• Rolando Barrientos, Scout Santiago, Quezon City; call 373-2333 – white paper, metal, bottles, paper (minimum amount: 500 kilos)

• UP Shell Center, Bantay Baterya Project, Commonwealth, Diliman; call 928-1968 – batteries (car/appliance)

• Coca Cola Bottlers Phils. Inc., Herrera St., Legaspi Village, Makati City; call 840-6907/840-6909 – aluminum cans

• United Pulp and Paper, Salcedo St., Legaspi Village, Makati; call Jimmy Macatangay at 810-9526 – corrugated carton recycler

• Bensan Ind., Caloocan City; call 361-9889; call Yvette Santos at 362-2770 – all kinds of oil except cooking oil

• Romfer’s Junkshop, Daang Bakal St., Tondo, Manila; call call Felix Fernandez at 251-2431 – bulbs, fluorescent, ballasts

• Polysterene Packaging Council of the Phils., UN Avenue, Ermita, Manila; call Tony Chiong at 526-0889 – styrofoam recycler

• Kapalaran Metal Scrap & Junk Shop, P. Santos, Pasay City; call 833-7123 – copper, aluminum sheets

• Earth Management System, Calbayog St. corner Dr. Fernandez, Mandaluyong City; call Ruben Posadas at 535-0564 – segregated and cleaned wastes

• HMR Super Surplus Bodega, Reliance and Sheridan Sts., near Pioneer, Mandaluyong; call 634-0526 – they buy your surplus, electronics, base metals, computer/appliance recycling, telephone systems, racking and shelving, precision testing, spare parts

Pick the area nearest you. Otherwise, you may try the list of the Environmental Management Bureau at www.emb.gov.ph/list_of_transporters.PDF.

As they say, one man’s garbage is another man’s fortune.

[dancethingy]

Bayongs are a great idea. I use rattan bags (the big ones) whenever grocery shopping. People should do it. It's less hassle trying to do away with the plastic bags.

When i pick up my brother's dog's crap, i use a wallice ting ting and then bury it on our accumulating compost in the backyard.

Did you know that the average Japanese household seperates their garbage into 22 different categories. Some districts have their residents separate them into 44!

[Mango]

Some folks in the province still use baskets made of rattan and fishnets when going to the market. That way less hassle and no need for plastic bags.

There was this campaign some years back at FARMERS market in Cubao on bringing back bayong. I dont know what happen to that.

22 or 44 categories?
A simple bottle of coke will find its way into three categories:
1.pet bottle
2.plastic A for the cap
3.plastic B for the label

while a can of sardines into twowash the tin can first)
1. tin 2. paper for the label

I developed the habit of washing out food remnants in can, plastics and softdrinks can to avoid the rotting and foul smell and no cockroaches!

styro are washed then dropped off at the supermarket where you buy the item. These are made into ballpens.

these are just examples to show how strict japan is when it comes to garbage treatment.

[tigidig14]

[QUOTE=dancethingy]Bayongs are a great idea. I use rattan bags (the big ones) whenever grocery shopping. People should do it. It's less hassle trying to do away with the plastic bags.[QUOTE]

bayong, masakit sa kamay, they shud have those portable pushing cart like what they have in here. im wondering if we have them there, probably i can patent it n make beacoup money overthere

plastic bag is no hassle whatsoever after u used it then u throw it, as easy as that. ppol now are making it hard for themsleves