KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato (PIA) -- The Koronadal City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) has adopted measures to repurpose the city’s accumulated single-use plastic waste into valuable materials.

Abril Ma. Lebanan, the supervising environmental management specialist at CENRO, pointed out that the city government envisions “proactively addressing the challenge of waste management through repurposing plastic waste into usable resources.”

With the city government’s recycling facility, which includes a conveyor system, two units of bottle crushers, a generator set, and plastic armchair molders, waste has been turned into pavement blocks, armchairs, picket fences, flowerpots, and hollow blocks.

Koronadal City, the government center in the Soccsksargen region, has an estimated 7 tons of residual waste each day, he said.

He explained that the immense volume of residual waste generated on a daily basis has been a significant concern to the local government, as it practically fills up the sanitary landfill beyond its anticipated capacity.

“Halin sa waste na plastic gin melt sya naton kag ginmold, ang iya strength flexible pero hindi humok kaayo. Ang kanami sini kay waterproof sya, water resistant so hindi sya mag-absorb moisture. Kung ibutang naton sya outdoors mabulad sa init, mabulad sa ulan wala problema,” Lebanan said.

[We melt it from waste plastic and mold it; its strength is flexible but not very soft. The good thing about this is that it's waterproof and water-resistant, so it won't absorb moisture. If we put them outdoors and let them be exposed to the heat and rain, there won't be any problem.]

The various pieces of equipment used in recycling and repurposing worth P4 million were given by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) through the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) in Region 12 in 2022.

Lebanan rationalized that their approach to single-use plastic waste not only mitigates its adverse impacts on the environment but also contributes to the circular economy, where waste materials are repurposed, extending their lifecycle, and reducing the need for new raw materials.

The official described the equipment as very efficient and a huge help for the LGU “not only in managing plastic waste but also in reducing the demand for new raw materials, thus promoting sustainability and environmental conservation.”

He also clarified how they process their recycling activities.

“The collected waste materials are sent to a sanitary landfill. At this site, trained personnel sort through the waste by separating plastics and bottles. Once sorted, these plastics and bottles undergo a series of processing steps,” Lebanan went on to explain.

He said that the plastics are cleaned, shredded, and then melted down to be molded into picket fences, offering a durable and eco-friendly fence.

Similarly, glass bottles are processed and converted into bricks, which can be used in construction projects around the city, providing both an eco-friendly building material and an innovative solution to waste management.

CENRO also plans to integrate recycled products, including pavement blocks and picket fences made from repurposed plastics and bottles, into the city’s roadside beautification efforts.

“Gusto naton i-integrate ang aton na product ang product sang city nga basura, butangan naton sang basura but in a good way,” Lebanan emphasized.

[We want to integrate our product with the city's product, which is trash. Let's put waste to good use.]

CENRO then issued a call to action for the residents of Koronadal, encouraging them to adopt proper waste disposal habits and engage in waste segregation.

This initiative is part of CENRO's broader vision to transform Koronadal into a garbage-free, green city.

“Gina-encourage gid naton from the household mag-practice gid sang segregation, gamay nga hangyo, gamay sya nga activity nga ubrahon mo before disposal pero dako ang impact nya pag-abot na sa processing didto sa amon,” he said. 

[We really encourage the household to practice segregation; it's a small request, and it's a small activity that they do before disposal, but it has a big impact when it reaches the processing area.] (AMB/CTA - PIA Region 12)