“End-Of-The-Pipe” Material Recovery to Reduce Waste Disposal and to Motivate the Informal Sector to Participate in Site Improvements at the Calajunan Dumpsite In Iloilo City, Panay, Philippines

Authors:

J. G. Paul (AHT Group AG)
D. Jaque and R. Kintanar (HydroNet Consultants Inc.)
J.C. Sipilan (EMB-DENR Region 6)
R. Gallo (GSO, Iloilo City)

SUMMARY: Waste management problems in developed countries differ from those in developing countries. Whereas the former have access to the needed financial and technical resources as well as expertise and a well developed market, the latter countries struggle to provide basic systems to manage waste such as a waste collection system. This becomes even more obvious in urban and built-up areas where solid waste problems go hand-in-hand with other environmental threats such as air pollution, waste water, sanitation and drainage problems.
In Iloilo City, a fast growing urban center, located at the southeastern side of Panay Island, Philippines, solid waste management becomes increasingly more difficult. Presently, only 160 tons out of the estimated 310 tons daily waste generation are collected by a private contractor. Due to the stressed traffic situation, the waste collection can only be conducted during night time, whereas the most of recoverable materials are already segregated prior to disposal before or during waste collection. Nevertheless, there are still about 300 waste pickers who make their living by collecting sellable materials at the dumpsite. Although they are somehow accepted, their presence complicates the efforts for site improvement and requires special measures in the preparation of new waste management projects.
As part of the environmental enhancement program, the Local Government Iloilo proposed to rehabilitate the existing dumpsite and to establish a new landfill. To reduce the waste volume for final disposal and to integrate the local waste pickers into the project, the establishment of an “end-of-the-pipe” material recovery system was proposed. The presented research summarizes the set up and findings of a 20-day segregation test at the local dumpsite, which was conducted together with 30 local waste pickers using a mechanical recovery facility. The latter consisted of an input conveyor belt, a trommel screen and a ring-belt system for manual segregation at the local dumpsite.

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SUMMARY: Waste management   problems   in   developed   countries   differ   from those   in
developing countries. Whereas the former have access to the needed financial and technical
resources as well as expertise and a well developed market,   the latter countries   struggle to
provide basic systems to manage waste such as a waste collection system. This becomes even
more obvious in urban and built-up areas where solid waste problems go hand-in-hand with
other environmental threats such as air pollution, waste water, sanitation and drainage problems.
In Iloilo City, a fast growing urban center,   located at   the southeastern side of Panay Island,
Philippines, solid waste management becomes increasingly more difficult. Presently, only 160
tons out of the estimated 310 tons daily waste generation are collected by a private contractor.
Due to the stressed traffic situation, the waste collection can only be conducted during night time,
whereas the most of   recoverable materials are already segregated prior   to disposal before or
during waste collection. Nevertheless,   there are still about 300 waste pickers who make their
living by collecting sellable materials at   the dumpsite. Although they are somehow accepted,
their presence complicates the efforts for site improvement and requires special measures in the
preparation of new waste management projects.
As part of the environmental enhancement program, the Local Government Iloilo proposed to
rehabilitate the existing dumpsite and to establish a new landfill. To reduce the waste volume for
final disposal and to integrate the local waste pickers into the project, the establishment of an
“end-of-the-pipe” material recovery system was proposed. The presented research summarizes
the set up and findings of a 20-day segregation test at the local dumpsite, which was conducted
together with 30 local waste pickers using a mechanical recovery facility. The latter consisted of
an input conveyor belt, a trommel screen and a ring-belt system for manual segregation at the
local dumpsite.