Effective waste management is crucial for maintaining cleanliness and environmental sustainability.
This is the sentiment of Mylene Pascual, head of the Laoag City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO), stressing the importance of recycling, segregating, and composting to maintain cleanliness and proper waste management.
By practicing these three steps, residents can greatly contribute to the environmental efforts of the city government.
Compost
To encourage residents to compost food waste, the CENRO has started distributing compost kits to various barangays.
This year, they have already provided 30 compost bins to communities or barangays that lack the space or resources to create compost pits.
Pascual explains that composting begins with collecting compostable materials, including green waste (nitrogen-rich items like fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, and grass clippings) and brown waste (carbon-rich items such as dry leaves, straw, cardboard, and paper).
Residents should alternate layers of waste materials with soil in the compost bin.
“Once the waste materials are decomposed, the resulting nutrient-rich soil can be used to enhance plant growth in gardens,” Pascual says.
Segregate
Pascual stressed that the city’s policy in trash collection is strictly “No Segregation, No Collection.”
To segregate, Pascual advises keeping separate trash bins for food or compostable waste, plastic waste, and residual or non-recyclable waste.
She also urged residents to use clear garbage bags so garbage collectors can easily identify the type of waste.
“Segregation starts in the home; if we integrate it in our families, we can also practice it outside – in our offices, public spaces, or schools,” she said.
She added that with new garbage trucks and the fully operational landfill, waste collection in the city is now more efficient.
Reuse
To reduce residual waste, the CENRO is continuously promoting recycling and reusing practices, especially in plastic containers and bottles with information, education, and communication materials posted around the city.
“We highly encourage the public to reuse and recycle. In fact, I want to reiterate that we have an ordinance that market goers are only allowed to use one plastic bag when buying goods in the market. We want them to practice bringing their own containers or reusable bags,” she added.
Though described as simple and easy steps, when maintained, these three practices will have a long-term impact for the betterment of the environment. (AMB/EJFG/PIA Ilocos Norte)
