8 Reasons Why Waste Segregation is Important Today

8 Reasons Why Waste Segregation is Important

Today, only 11% of the total amount of waste in Metro Manila are recycled. This is mainly due to incomplete segregation.

As long as we do not have a disposal system with mechanized Material Recovery Facilities, segregation is crucial for the waste sorters to focus on the recyclable materials.

The technology to turn biogas into energy already exists – and is used in the Philippines. Methane gas that evaporates on the landfills is transferred into electricity. But to produce the energy efficiently, the compostable waste needs to be free from other materials.

By segregating properly, you make the waste collection much more convenient for the collecting companies and their trucks.

Just to name some examples, compost can be used as fertilizer, plastic bottles can be used for the construction of houses, paper can be used for handicrafts, and so on. By segregating, you support the selection of those materials.

The waste collection, the recycling and the biogas production are only efficient and thus cheaper, when waste is segregated properly. There might be a fee on waste disposal one day, so try to keep the costs low.

When not disposed properly, a lot of items in your trash bin are dangerous to your health. Batteries, all sorts of electronics, paint or aerosol cans cause harm to humans and the environment. So they definitely have to be disposed separately.

This technology could solve Manila’s waste problem in the future. There are incineration plants with almost zero emission already, but they only work when the waste that arrives there is segregated.

Waste Segregation: makes a beautiful nation