Compost system for five Cebu City villages

BY launching a barangay-based composting center in Barangay T. Padilla last Tuesday, Cebu City Hall hopes to reduce one ton of garbage from each of the city’s 50 barangays in the next few months.

“Karon pagsugod, mo-process lang ta og 500 kilos a day from each barangay (At the start we will process 500 kilos of garbage a day from each barangay),” said City Hall environment consultant Nida Cabrera.

The barangay composting system is one of several waste reduction programs set up by City Hall to reduce the stench caused by the 15-hectare landfill in barangay Inayawan.

The five pilot barangays for the project were T. Padilla, Kamagayan, Capitol Site, Barrio Luz and Cogon Pardo.

Cabrera said they hope to have composting centers in at least 50 of the city’s 80 barangays by December this year.

She said they are expecting three kilos of household waste to be brought to their respective barangays.

The program will be stopped after two months to allow the harvesting of the compost generated by the garbage.

The barangay composting system is in accordance with Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 and City Ordinance No. 2031 or the Solid Waste Segregation program.

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña called on barangays to compost biodegradable waste and recycle non-biodegradable waste.

Under City Hall’s waste segregation system, organic or biodegradable waste will be collected during Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Non-biodegradable waste or recyclable items and residual waste like rags, diapers and napkins will be collected during Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.

Garbage trucks will have separate receptacles to collect non-biodegradable waste and residual waste.

Collection of e-waste like damaged consumer electronic products, cellphones and busted lamps will be handled separately by a Transporter and Treatment, Storage and Disposal (TSD) facility.