DepEd-Mandaue turns waste paper into eco-friendly charcoal
The rice is cooked using paper charcoal.| 📸: Mary Rose Sagarino
MANDAUE CITY, Philippines — To make use of the huge volume of waste papers, the Department of Education in Mandaue City (DepEd-Mandaue) decided to turn it into paper charcoal.
DepEd-Mandaue Administrative Officer, Edgar Espina, said that the division can dispose of about 2 to 3 kilos of waste papers and newspapers a week. The shredded papers are usually confidential documents.
“Although karun nga panahona, paperless naman gyud ta pero dili gyud kalikayan nga mogamit gyud ta og papel pod, naa gyuy ma-waste. So, para dili gyud ma-waste ang atoang waste, we will use some initiative nga magamit nato,” said Espina.
Previously, the waste papers were sold, but the division decided to recycle them instead. The non-teaching personnel of the division were tasked with making the charcoal.
To make the paper charcoal, waste papers and newspapers are first shredded using a machine and soaked in water for at least a day. Afterward, the pulp is squeezed, formed into balls, and dried under the sun.
These paper charcoal balls serve as an alternative to traditional charcoal from trees. They burn longer and more efficiently.
The division uses paper charcoal to cook food or grill meat and fish at the office. It is also sold to DepEd personnel at P30 for six balls. The proceeds, along with funds from selling other recyclables like bottles, were used to build a small café and nipa hut inside the compound.
Espina said that the idea of making charcoal from paper was learned online and was implemented in the division in 2021, during the time of Dr. Nimfa Bongo as superintendent. The initiative has since been continued by the current superintendent, Dr. Bianito Dagatan, and Espina.
“Naa man siya sa internet. Ang imo ra gyud ani pag-implementar kay naa kay makit-an pero dili ka ka-implement kay tapulan ka, but once you realize that it is really effective and can help the environment, so we have to do it,” Espina added.
Paper charcoal
The paper charcoal initiative also helps the environment by reducing the need for charcoal made from cutting trees, Espina noted.
Because of this initiative and their waste management practices, DepEd-Mandaue was awarded by the city government as the Most Innovative Department in the implementation of waste segregation at source for 2023.
The division has also integrated a solid waste management education program in public schools since the start of classes on July 29. Solid waste management concepts are included in teachers’ lesson plans, with students assigned projects and tasks that reinforce these ideas daily.
The program is in partnership with the Mandaue City Environment and Natural Resources Office.
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