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To check the profile of NCR click this. For a more in-depth history of NCR click this.

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Number of Establishments and Total Employment in NCR (MSME's)

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Number of Establishments and Total Employment in NCR (MSME's)

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table taken from: DTI - Philippines

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SDG 11 As A Way To Advocate Bringing Back Green Spaces within Metro Manila

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SDG 11 As A Way To Advocate Bringing Back Green Spaces within Metro Manila

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reason for choosing SDG 11 target 11.7

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For more information regarding SDG 11 check this link.

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To give context of the remaining green spaces in Metro Manila here are some articles

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To give context of the remaining green spaces in Metro Manila here are some articles

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MANILA, Philippines - Metro Manila's green spaces would continue to shrink in the face of unabated development and a ballooning population, if not dealt with swiftly by the government and citizens alike, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said on Monday.

The challenge, however, lies in finding every pocket of available space for foliage in the densely populated National Capital Region (NCR).

Data from the DENR showed that of its land area of 55,922.22 hectares, only 12,152.79 ha of green space - or only 21 percent - exist in the NCR.

Using the 2015 population data, these spaces serve a whooping 12.8 million people living in the metropolis.

"If we look at the development here in the National Capital Region, especially under the 'Build, Build, Build' program, we really need to work double time to compensate for the loss [of green spaces]," said Jacqueline Caancan, DENR-NCR regional director.

Some of the major green spaces in Metro Manila include La Mesa Eco Park in Quezon City and the protected Las Piñas-Parañaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area.
Biggest deficits
Out of 16 cities and one town in Metro Manila, the capital Manila suffers one of the biggest deficits, with only 140.4 ha green space in a total area of over 3,800 hectares.

Concerned citizens were recently up in arms after the 2-ha Arroceros Forest Park in Ermita, dubbed as the city's "last lung," was threatened with the proposed building of a gymnasium.

But advocates were afforded a sigh of relief - and now hold on to a promise - after incoming Mayor Isko Moreno said he would not allow development inside the riverside park.

Other cities that badly need breathing space based on their populations are Caloocan, Malabon, Mandaluyong, Navotas, Pasay, Pasig, Pateros and San Juan, said Arturo Calderon, chief of the DENR-NCR's Production Forest Management Section.

To compensate for the growing loss of plants due to rapid development, the DENR-NCR said it was working to cover every bit of available space, including the traffic medians.
Minigardens, pocket parks
It is looking at the development of more minigardens and pocket parks, where trees and ornamental plants can provide a breathing space for the choking city.

Since the beginning of their office's greening projects in the metropolis in 2011, at least 1,110 ha of land have been planted in, with a total of 787 sites across Metro Manila.

On Tuesday, in celebration of the Philippine Arbor Day, simultaneous tree-plantings will be held at the Baseco compound in Tondo, Manila, and on the campuses of Polytechnic University of the Philippines in Metro Manila.

Institutions, such as schools and churches, are also considered lungs for the Metro, where old trees are also often found.

Amid rapid development, the challenge lies in the delicate balance between development and sustainability, Caancan said.

The conscious efforts from government agencies and citizens alike would have to be swift and consistent, before concrete and steel threaten to engulf the metropolis.

"When we park our cars, we always want it under a tree's shade," she said. "But the irony is: Who wants to plant a tree?"

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Metro Manila's green spaces continue to shrink

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MANILA, Philippines - Metro Manila's green spaces would continue to shrink in the face of unabated development and a ballooning population, if not dealt with swiftly by the government and citizens alike, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said on Monday.

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A Facebook user's map of green spaces in Metro Manila showed that the remaining areas with greenery are grass parks in golf and country clubs and cemeteries.

User BA Racoma indicated that his sources were the Philippine Statistics Authority and the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority for the boundaries and the Open Street Map for the roads, water and green spaces.

He posted this on September 9 and soon made rounds more than 5,000 times on Facebook. It also became a trending topic on Reddit.

"Quite a number of people were asking for a Green Spaces of Metro Manila map. I knew what to expect but I didn't realize it would make me this sad," Racoma said in the caption.

He specified that any forest, grass, nature reserve, park or meadow was considered as "green space" based on Open Street Map.

However, the results that came out on the free online map may have left out some data and included grass-filled places.

"I included GRASS in the Green spaces so the following are included: golf and country clubs (Wack-Wack, Southlinks, Ayala), cemeteries (The Heritage Park, Himlayang Pilipino, Eternal Gardens Memorial Park, Ever Memorial Garden), and yes, NAIA," he said in the disclaimer.

Moreover, he noted that some large parks such as the Quezon City Circle and the greenery at the University of the Philippines-Diliman were just dots on the map given the scale of the region.

"If you do not see your local green space, please consider contributing to OpenStreetMap adding he proper land use tags in the mapped regions," he said.

In the photo, the largest green space was the La Mesa Eco Park in Quezon City. The rest were scattered patches throughout Manila.

A Reddit user cited another endangered urban sanctuary in the south of Manila-the Las Piñas Parañaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area.

This 175-hectare wetland is home to a mangrove forest declared critical by the environment agency.

Last July, the Arroceros Park in Manila or the city's so-called last lung was saved from developers and even included in Manila Mayor Isko Moreno's ambitious plans of turning Manila into a green city.

Only 12% of green space remains in the metropolis, according to data from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Meanwhile, the city of Manila has the least green spaces among the 16 cities with only 140.4 of 3,800 hectares in total land area.

Why do green spaces matter?

The rising temperatures of urban heat islands such as Metro Manila are what expanding green spaces sought to reduce.

The National Geographic defines an urban heat island as "a metropolitan area that's a lot warmer than the rural areas surrounding it."

Urban heat islands or UHI normally comprise residential houses, commercial establishments and other industrial buildings with people moving their daily activities at a small space.

Green spaces such as nature reserves, wetlands and forested parks reduce the harmful effects in UHIs and even contribute to the overall mental health of the residents.

The World Health Organization strongly suggests building more green spaces to cool the city, provide safe transportation and promote physical and social activities among people.

"Green spaces also are important to mental health. Having access to green spaces can reduce health inequalities, improve well-being, and aid in the treatment of mental illness. Some analysis suggests that physical activity in a natural environment can help remedy mild depression and reduce physiological stress indicators," the organization said.

In the Philippines, the Department of Science and Technology launched a project called Project GUHeat or "Geospatial Assessment and Modeling of Urban Heat Islands in Philippine Cities" this 2019 to help local governments minimize the harmful effects of UHIs.

This project will also help the LGUs incorporate correct measures or policies to make their localities safe, resilient and sustainable, which is Goal 11 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

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There are only a few green spaces left in Metro Manila. Just look at this map.

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A Facebook user's map of green spaces in Metro Manila showed that the remaining areas with greenery are grass parks in golf and country clubs and cemeteries. User BA Racoma indicated that his sources were the Philippine Statistics Authority and the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority for the boundaries and the Open Street Map for the roads, water and green spaces.

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According to DENR, only 12% of green space remain within Metro Manila. This map shows the remaining green spaces.

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Why advocate for bringing back green spaces? 

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Why advocate for bringing back green spaces? 

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This article tackles the human benefits of green spaces.

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Human Benefits of Green Spaces

Interaction with gardens and natural spaces offers a variety of mental, physical and social benefits for humans, ranging from stress reduction, quicker healing, and mitigation of Attention Deficit Disorder in children to decreasing crime and air pollution. Sustainable sites consider human energy and creativity as a renewable resource, recognizing the potential for healthy living and employment conditions. City planners, governments, and ordinary citizens are only just beginning to appreciate the tangible benefits of green spaces and take advantage of opportunities for improving quality of life in urbanized areas.
Mental Health Benefits
Martine Petelot, a member of small community garden on a vacant lot in a congested area of Paris, France, argues that interactions with green spaces are essential for mental well-being: "Our garden allows us to work the earth, to watch things grow," he says. "People need to scratch about in the soil, breathe in the scent of plants and flowers, let off steam and meet other people. For many, it's almost like therapy."

Stress and violence reduction. Parks, garden spaces, street trees, and landscaped traffic islands provide more than a pretty panorama, effectively reducing the stress of our daily lives by invoking a feeling of tranquility. Studies have shown that stressed individuals feel better after exposure to natural scenes. Accordingly, green spaces also reduce instances of aggression and violence.

Improved concentration. Scientists assert that green spaces increase our ability to concentrate, both on the tasks at hand and on our subconsciously-viewed surroundings. Voluntary attention, the exhausting focus required to ignore distractions and remain intensely devoted to work or study must be employed throughout the traditional workday. Involuntary attention is the effortless and enjoyable awareness of sensory stimuli in the environment-a benefit that has been selected for throughout the course of human evolution. In the past, those who found nature effortlessly engaging were more likely to know where the berries were, more likely to find the critters, and more likely to escape predators. Focusing on natural scenes gives voluntary attention a rest and allows involuntary attention to take over and recharge the human psyche.

Physical Benefits

Enhanced health. Studies throughout the world have proven the power of green spaces to improve human health. Cities with high numbers of parks battle obesity and diabetes. Recent studies in the Netherlands and Japan show that people with easy access to green space boasted better health and lower mortality rates. Even relatively passive contact with nature-such as viewing it from a window-lowers blood pressure and anxiety levels.

More rapid healing. Texas A&M's Roger Ulrich examined exactly how window views from a hospital room effected recovery time in surgical patients. He matched patients with similar demographics and surgical procedures but different window views-one facing a brown brick wall of an adjacent building, and the other looking at a small stand of deciduous trees. Those looking at the trees had fewer negative nurses' evaluations and post-surgical complications, used weaker pain killers, and remained in the hospital a shorter time-by 8.5%-compared to patients looking at a building wall.

Improved environmental conditions. City greenery cleans and cools the air for improved quality of life. A study in Chicago determined that the city's trees filtered 234 tons of particulate pollution and cleansed the air of 98 tons of nitrogen dioxide, 93 tons of sulfur dioxide, and 17 tons of carbon monoxide. Vegetated areas also provide relief from the "heat island effect" caused by the heat-trapping quality of asphalt, concrete, and building materials. Air under a tree's canopy can be as much as 5 - 10° F cooler compared to full sun, with the underlying pavement up to 36° F cooler.
Social Benefits

Crime reduction. Most people assume that increased vegetation translates to an increase of crime by offering hiding places for criminals and their criminal acts (see box on next page). Open mowed areas are generally considered safest, while densely vegetated areas are the most feared.

Contrary to these common beliefs, maintained green spaces actually reduce crime. A study of 98 vegetated and un-vegetated apartment buildings in Chicago showed that vegetated spaces cut crime by half, in addition to inspiring pride for surroundings that translated into less litter and less graffiti. Besides mitigating psychological precursors to violence by reducing stress and anxiety, green spaces increase a neighborhood's collective surveillance: Vegetated landscapes invite more people to use them, ensuring more eyes on the watch to prevent crime in outdoor spaces.

Increased workplace productivity. In the business environment, green spaces improve productivity and morale among workers. Studies show that desk workers with a view of nature-either out a window, in a picture frame, or around them in the form of indoor plants-feel more relaxed overall, and those with no visibility of plants suffer the most stress and anxiety.

Safer driving. Vegetated roadsides may also serve a social benefit by reducing fatigue, anger, aggression, fear and stress of automobile drivers. A study using videotapes to simulate differing levels of vegetation along roadside suggests that parkway design and roadside vegetation reduces frustration among drivers. (For information about Delaware's roadside vegetation program, consult the document "Enhancing Delaware Highways: Roadside Vegetation Concept and Planning Manual," available at http://www.deldot.gov/information/pubs_forms/manuals/edh/index.shtml.

Economic stimulation. In multiple studies conducted by Kathleen Wolf at the University of Washington's College of Forest Resources, street trees and other streetscapes in downtown shopping districts were rated as highly preferable in surveys conducted among visitors. Not only do street trees foster a community's sense of place, but well-maintained streetscapes raise opinions about the quality of goods and services offered. In landscaped shopping districts, surveyed consumers were willing to spend 9- 12% more than they would spend in an un-landscaped district.

Positive effects on children. A national movement called "No Child Left Inside" popularized by Richard Louv in his book, Last Child in the Woods speaks to the countless benefits natural spaces have on child development. One national study of 450 children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder determined that exposure to natural environments alleviated symptoms of the condition. Another study shows that views of trees from the home improves self-discipline among inner city girls, including enhanced concentration, inhibition of impulsive behavior, and delay of gratification. After creative play in verdant settings, children overall demonstrate increased ability to concentrate, complete tasks, and follow directions.

Why don't most people realize benefits of interactions with plants?
The wealth of benefits provided by plants is not ingrained knowledge in modern day American culture. Humans often have difficulty in even seeing plants in their own environment, much less connecting plants to tangible benefits. As James Wandersee explains in "Toward a Theory of Plant Blindness,"

Only 0.0000016 of the data our eyes produce are considered consciously. It is assumed that the rest must somehow affect our thoughts feelings and actions and this means most of mental life must take place subconsciously. (2001)

For most people, plants are a part of the subconscious sector of mental life, perceived as the backdrop, not the actors in the playing out of our everyday lives.

Plant blindness aside, it remains difficult for humans to clearly track the cause and effect between presence of plants and resulting benefits due to the cumulative nature of these benefits. Decreases in crime over time, overall improved concentration and speedier hospital recovery times are not easily recognized or quantified, and even less easily linked to surrounding landscapes. Further research and widespread education-especially of city planners and local governments-may serve as the best tool for helping us recognize the advantages of green spaces.
Minor investment, huge payoff
Due to widespread plant blindness, parks and other green spaces are usually considered luxuries, funded by leftover monies after buildings and hardscapes have been planned and built. However, as researcher Frances Kuo advocates, parks in cities represent a potential for a minor public investment with a huge payoff: "Parks help people take care of themselves," she asserts, "so cities don't have to spend as much on social, medical and safety services trying to fix their problems."

In other words, as Henry David Thoreau claims, a remedy we can never have enough of is a healthy dose of nature.
Additional Resources
Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv (Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2005)

Human Dimensions of Urban Forestry and Urban Greening

www.cfr.washington.edu/research.envmind

"Paris Parks" by Jennifer Ackerman

http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0610/feature3/index.html

"Toward a Theory of Plant Blindness" by James Wandersee

http://www.botany.org/bsa/psb/2001/psb47-1.html#Toward%20a%20Theory%20of%20Plant

"Trees are Worth Downtown's Investment" by Kathleen Wolf

http://www.cfr.washington.edu/research.envmind/CityBiz/DowntownExchange.pdf
Bibliography
Ackerman, Jennifer. (2006). Paris Parks. National Geographic Magazine. October 2006. Available online from

http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0610/feature3/index.html

Louv, Richard. (2005). Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder. Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.

Wandersee, James. (2001). Towards a Theory of Plant Blindness. Plant Science Bulletin. Spring 2001. Botanical Society of America, Inc. Available online from http://www.botany.org/bsa/psb/2001/psb47-1.html#Toward%20a%20Theory%20of%20Plant

Wolf, Kathleen. (2006). Amenities: Trees Are Worth Downtown's Investment. Downtown Idea Exchange: Essential Information for Downtown Revitalization. Alexander Communications Group, Inc. April 1, 2006. Available online from http://www.cfr.washington.edu/research.envmind/CityBiz/DowntownExchange.pdf

Wolf, Kathleen. (Unknown date). Human Dimensions of Urban Forestry and Urban Greening. University of Washington College of Forest Resources. Available online from www.cfr.washington.edu/research.envmind

Revision Date: 31 January 2009
Susan Barton, Extension Specialist
Rebecca Pineo, Botanic Gardens Intern
University of Delaware
Bulletin #137
Adapted from the lecture "The Healing Garden: Social Research" by Dr. Susan Barton, PLSC100: Plants and Human Culture. November 18, 2008.

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Human Benefits of Green Spaces | Cooperative Extension | University of Delaware

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Interaction with gardens and natural spaces offers a variety of mental, physical and social benefits for humans, ranging from stress reduction, quicker healing, and mitigation of Attention Deficit Disorder in children to decreasing crime and air pollution. Sustainable sites consider human energy and creativity as a renewable resource, recognizing the potential for healthy living and employment conditions.

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Other articles and study about green spaces

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Other articles and study about green spaces

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- FINDING GREEN SPACES IN OUR CITIES, FOR OUR CITIZENS (click here.)

- Metro Manila needs more public parks and green spaces. (click here.)

- SOCIAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, ECONOMIC, AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF GREEN SPACES (click here.)

- Health benefits of green spaces in the living environment: A systematic review of epidemiological studies (click here.)

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To know more about the SDG 12 check this link.

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Metro Manila generates 25% of PH daily trash

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Metro Manila generates 25% of PH daily trash

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According to the DENR, the city’s garbage represents 25 percent of the country’s daily solid waste generation of about 35,000 tons.

About half of the rubbish in Metro Manila is biodegradable wastes such as food scraps, leftovers, and dead animals. About 17 percent are paper, while 16 percent of the wastes are plastics. The rest are metal, ceramics, rubber and leather.

What's even more disappointing is that of the 17 cities in Metro Manila, only nine have a solid waste management plan.

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MANILA, Philippines-Another reason to thumb one's nose at ''Imperial Manila."

Residents of the National Capital Region generate so much garbage that they are responsible for one-fourth of the country's daily output of solid waste, according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Citing records from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, the DENR said Metro Manila produces about 8,400 to 8,600 tons of trash per day.

The city's garbage represents 25 percent of the country's daily solid waste generation of about 35,000 tons, the DENR said.

About half of the rubbish in Metro Manila is biodegradable wastes such as food scraps, leftovers, and dead animals. About 17 percent are paper, while 16 percent of the wastes are plastics. The rest are metal, ceramics, rubber and leather.

Of the 17 cities in Metro Manila, only nine have a solid waste management plan. About a third of the biodegrable wastes from these nine cities are recycled into compost, Aguinaldo said. But Metro Manila residents rarely do this because of space constraints, she noted.

To minimize wastes from households, Paje has ordered nearly 5,000 homeowners associations in condominiums and subdivisions to segregate their garbage. This would make it easier for local garbage collectors to separate the non-biodegradable trash from the biodegradable and encourage residents to do composting.

"Subdivisions and condominiums are very critical in our advocacy for solid waste management because the residents here are already organized and they are governed by their respective homeowners associations. Getting them to practice waste segregation and composting will hopefully not be as difficult as they will feel immediate benefits in terms of cleaner surroundings," Paje said

Paje said the department has linked up with 11 local government units in the capital to mandate about 4,717 homeowners associations to set ecological solid waste management system in their neighborhoods.

"This way we will not only reducing the volume of wastes thrown in landfills but also those that are indiscriminately dumped in esteros and other waterways," Paje said.

The DENR said residents produce so much waste that the very local problem of household garbage has become a national concern.

He noted that the garbage from Metro Manila households is one of the major culprits for the floods and disease outbreaks that plague the city during the rainy season.

"In the analysis of the country's environmental problems, it always boils down to garbage as the main contributor. From flooding to dengue, from polluted rivers and creeks to mountains of trash, from unnecessary death of fishes that accidentally swallowed plastic bags in the seas to global warming, garbage is the common denominator," Paje said in a statement Monday .

Untreated and uncollected household garbage end up clogging drainage systems and waterways. Public health officials note that the unsanitary condition in many pockets of Metro Manila have caused outbreaks of diseases such as dengue fever and leptospirosis.

And because uncollected wastes have nowhere to go, they end up blocking local ditches, drainage systems, and rivers, which contribute to the floods.

In an interview on Monday, Emy Aguinaldo, executive director of the National Solid Waste Management Commission, said a Metro Manila resident generates an average of .7 kg of waste per day. This is about 130 percent higher than the global average of waste generated by one person per day, which is at .3 kg.

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Metro Manila generates 25% of PH daily trash

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MANILA, Philippines-Another reason to thumb one's nose at ''Imperial Manila." Residents of the National Capital Region generate so much garbage that they are responsible for one-fourth of the country's daily output of solid waste, according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. ADVERTISEMENT Citing records from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, the DENR said [...]

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45 percent of Metro’s garbage not properly disposed

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45 percent of Metro’s garbage not properly disposed

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(First of two parts)
Aside from the traffic mess, the other big problem in Metro Manila is the poor disposal of garbage.

A study of the Solid Waste Management Office (SWMO) of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) showed that the actual volume of waste in Metro Manila that was properly disposed in its dumping area has reached only 29,645.44 cubic meters per day, out of 54,084.86 cubic meters of garbage collected per day as of June this year.

That was equivalent to 54.81 percent of the total collected garbage each day.

Therefore, 45.19 percent of the garbage was not properly disposed.
899.44-ton increase per day
MMDA records showed that the total volume of garbage thrown by Metro Manila residents last year was 9,499.44 tons per day, compared with 8,600 tons per day in 2010.

The Manila Times' computation showed that there was an increase in the volume of waste being thrown by the residents of 899.44 tons per day during the six-year period.

The MMDA's figure indicates a big problem in garbage collection and disposal in Metro Manila.

Aileen Lucero, national coordinator of EcoWaste Coalition, told The Manila Times that collection and proper disposal of garbage are indeed problematic.
Metro mayors to blame
Lucero said the 17 local government units (LGUs) in Metro Manila should be blamed for this problem since "LGUs have the responsibility in disposing the solid waste in their respective cities" in proper dumping areas as stipulated in Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.

RA 9003, enacted in the year 2000, contained provisions on proper collection and segregation of different types of waste, and their disposal.

According to Lucero, RA 9003 was not effectively implemented by the 17 Metro Manila mayors.

The MMDA is thus not to blame as its role in the garbage issue is "only in support to the LGUs and monitoring solid waste management."
Lim silent on the problem
The MMDA however can coordinate and discuss with Metro Manila mayors on how to address the waste problem through the Metro Manila Council.

But the issue was never tackled in the council. MMDA Chairman Danilo Lim has not initiated council meetings on the garbage problem since he assumed the agency's top post in May.

Lim, a retired military general, has also not issued a statement to the media on how to address the problem.

What Lim promised to do before the media were: address the monstrous problem of traffic in Metro Manila, particularly the Epifanio de los Santos Avenue or Edsa, and dismiss from the MMDA rogue traffic enforcers and employees.
Plastic still at No. 2
The Manila Times further learned from the MMDA that each resident of Metro Manila throws a maximum of 1.0032 kilograms of garbage per day, a huge increase from the 2010 figure of 0.7 kilogram daily.

MMDA data showed that the No. 1 type of waste thrown in 2016 was kitchen waste, which accounted for 33.67 percent of the more than 9,000 tons of garbage collected per day.

This was followed by plastic at 13.51 percent and paper at 12.82 percent.

Plastic still ranked second despite the fact that all cities and the lone municipality in Metro Manila have banned the use of plastic bags in supermarkets.

This means that nothing has changed, since kitchen waste, plastic and paper were also the top three types of trash thrown by Metro Manila residents in 2010.

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45 percent of Metro's garbage not properly disposed - The Manila Times

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(First of two parts) Aside from the traffic mess, the other big problem in Metro Manila is the poor disposal of garbage. A study of the Solid Waste Management Office (SWMO) of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) showed that the actual volume of waste in Metro Manila that was properly disposed in its dumping [...]

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Laws and policies that can help regulate urban consumption

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Laws and policies that can help regulate urban consumption

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Guidelines Governing Waste-To-Energy (WtE) Facilities for the Integrated Management of Municipal Solid Wastes

Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act 9003

December 20, 2001

Adopting the landfill site identification and screening criteria for municipal solid waste disposal facilities

Technical Guidelines For Municipal Solid Waste Disposal

NSWMC Resolution No. 1363 Series of 2020
Resolution Directing the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to Prepare and Implement the Banning of the Use of Unnecessary Single-use Plastics by National Government Agencies (NGAs), Local Government Units (LGUs) Offices and All Other Government Controlled Offices

February 12, 2020

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Laws and Policies | Solid Waste Management

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Guidelines Governing Waste-To-Energy (WtE) Facilities for the Integrated Management of Municipal Solid Wastes Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act 9003 December 20, 2001 Adopting the landfill site identification and screening criteria for municipal solid waste disposal facilities Technical Guidelines For Municipal Solid Waste Disposal NSWMC Resolution No.

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What can individuals do to help achieve responsible consumption?

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What can individuals do to help achieve responsible consumption?

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This article sites the available recycling centers within Metro Manila

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Container Corp of the Phils 60 Old Samson Rd., Balintawak 1106 Jose Gan / Victor Pascual 3619801 to 06 Fax: 3623607 -paper

PEMA Envirocycling Fiber Inc. (EFI Sauyo) Manchester Industrial Compound, Nawasa Road, Sauyo, Novaliches, QC 0917-801-6955 / 0917-571-4139 - paper Plastic Mfg. Corp. 80 Mendez Rd., Baesa QC Tel. 3634593/ 3612844 Contact: Ms Marcelena -plastic recycler

Rowell Plastic 8 Obrero St. Bagumbayan, QC Tel. 6370987 Contact: Mr. Antonio Azarcon

Chemrez Inc 65 Calle Industries Bagumbayan, QC Tel. 6350680 Fax 6350703 Contact: Mr. Romeo Tan -styrofoam recycler

Ever Fortune Thermoplas Corp. 42 Sto. Domingo St., QC Tel. 7311291 Fax 7110169 Contact: Mr. Carlos Siy -plastic cup recycler

Novaliches Fiber Recovery Corp. (NFRC) Sitio Gitna, Kaybiga, Novaliches, Quezon City 0917-884-3405/ 0998-962-5451 - paper

Imperial Plastic Mfg. Corp 14 Tuayan, QC 7122801 -plastic recycler

Quezon City Parks Dev't Foundation, Inc. Quezon Memorial Circle Admin. Office Elliptical Road, QC 9243395, Fax 9243412 Contact: Gemma/ Susan/ Chay

Embuscado Trading Mendez St., Baesa, QC 3617113/ 3624142 Contact: Windy Embuscado -paper recycler

Winrock Ind. Services 8-A Oliveros Drive, Unit 7, Balintawak, QC Contact: Mimie Yee -plastic recycler

Good Samaritan Foundation for the Disadvantaged Unit 1-J RM Commercial Arcade, 80 Ramon Magsaysay Blvd. QC 7161499/7161399 (fax) jwalker@tri-isys.com -aluminum cans

Joreli Junk Shop 739 Quirino Hwy QC 936-2594

Auro's Junk Shop Duncan Aurora 7151935 2181 Mindanao Ave. Quezon City

Mrs. Brito N7 920 Sanbeda St. San Beda Vill., Proj. 8, QC 971464 / 983733 - bottles in bulk quantities

CP Junk Shop 102-D Tandang Sora, QC -scrap metal

Basco Secondhand Lumber 105 Tandang Sora, QC

AR Merchandise 325 Tandang Sora, QC -scrap iron

Nolasco Jose Uy 2815 Aurora Blvd. 7111520

Arcadio A. delos Reyes 293 Roosevelt Ave., QC 371-5127 - newspapers per kilo

Rolando Barrientos 1 Sct. Santiago, QC 373-2333 - white paper, metal, bottles, paper (min. amount - 500 kilos)

Ever International Trading of the Phils. 280 G. Araneta Ave., QC 356051

Everlasting Junk Shop 13 Cabalata St., QC 712-2829 / 7320688 - bottles, scrap metal

Ang Tok Junk Shop 2211 Rizal Ave. 254-2289 -bottles, scrap metal

B. dela Cruz Junk Shop 1119 Laguna Ext. 252-1338

Jesus Sta. Maria Leeland Dr. Balon-Bato, QC

Tan Digna 37-L Banawe, QC 7324688

CP Junk Shop 102-D Tandang Sora, QC -scrap metal

325 Tandang Sora, QC

Basco 105 Tandang Sora QC -secondhand lumber

UP Shell Center "Bantay Baterya Project" Commonwealth Diliman 9281968 -batteries (car/appliance)

Alliance Foundry Shop & Eng'g Unc 135 J. Teodoro St., Cor. 10th & 11th Ave., Kal. City Martin Sy 3611073 Fax: 3620039 -bronze metal

Asia Paper Industrial Corp 62 Gregoria de Jesus St., Balintawak, K.C. 3618151 fax 3622888 Contact: Anson Tan -paper recycler

Asia Plas Ind. Corp. 12-E 8th Ave. Cor. 6th St., Cal. City 3638832 Contact: Elizabeth Ong / Jojo Ng -plastic recycler

Filmets Corporation Ang Guan Khe 361-6859 236 6th St. K.C.

25 Josefina St. 4th Ave., Grace Park K.C.

Joselito Nunez 144 Guadalupe St. Morning Breeze Subd., KC

Kim Bee Foundry 9th Ave., Kal. Gilbert Dylanco 3611173 Fax: 3611173 -crust iron

Casin Elbert 127 Zapote, K.C. 351179

Gen. Soledad D. 183 Gen. Mascardo K.C. 3619032

Lily Junk Shop 77 I Nadurata KC 362-0137

MH Del Pilar Junk Shop 120 MH del Pilar 362-4409 -metal

Sanchez, Elvira 120 MH del Pilar 352871 -metal

Soledad Junk Shop East 8th Ave., KC 364-5978

Torres D. Junk Shop Co. 132 Banal, K.C. 346836

Yao, Filemon 135 C Cordero 3622221

25 Josefina St., 4th Ave., Grace Park, K.C.

Bensan Ind. 353 EDSA, Cal. City 3619889 fax 3622770 Contact: Yvette Santos -all kinds of oil except cooking oil

Globe Paper Mills 1000 Gov. E. Pascual Ave. Mal., MM Contact: Olive Ong / Carlos Yu Hong Liat / Boy Tecson 3612516 2427321 Fax: 2420198 -paper recycling

A. Garcia Trading 44 Naval St., Bo. Flores, Mal., MM

Liberty Corrugated Boxes Mfg Corp 40 Gov. Pascual Ave., Mal 3612541 Fax: 3619394 Josie Olivares -paper boxes

Manila Plastic Products 36 Gov. Pascual Ave., Malabon Leonardo Andaya 3612691 -plastic recycler

N. J. Y. JUNKSHOP #2 Mcarthur Hi-Way, Corner Indamaria St. Potrero, Malabon. Daniel Casanova Tel: 5148149, 09175412288 Cel: 09233581815

Reylin's Junk Shop 73 Naval St., Mal., MM

Recycling Center Cor. Plata St., MH Del Pilar St., Tugatog, Mal., MM

Caltex Greenhills "Bantay Baterya Project" Ortigas Ave., San Juna, M. Mla - 7213152 batteries (car/appliance)

Amolo Merch. Northbay Blvd. Navo., MM 221198

SILPLAS Marcos Hiway, Brgy. Mayamot Antipolo Contact : Ms. Bernal Tel: 632-5145080 ; 632-7267272 - Plastic, Fabric, Electronic parts and Rubber scraps recycler Alliance Foundry Shop & Eng'g Unc 135 J. Teodoro St.,

Hipa Junk Shop 433 EDSA, P.C. 3317757

Kapalaran Metal Scrap & Junk Shop 3001 P. Santos, P.C. 833-7123 -copper, aluminum sheets

Pasay Fiber Recovery Inc. (PFRC Pasay) 2252 Fb Harrison St., Pasay City 0917-536-4916 / 0998-962-4652 - paper

Daily Harvest 21 Railroad St., Port Area Joseph Sia 5274024 Fax: 5274022 Styrofoam recycler

Polysterene Packaging Council of the Phils., Rm. 900-1 Victoria Bldg., UN ave., Ermita, Mla 5260889 fax 5224354 Contact: Tony Chiong -styrofoam recycler, plastic

Dy Sion 3 Ma. Clara Malate, MM 222236

Tuazon Junk Shop 1 Tuazon Malate, MM 3613079

Estelita Junk Shop 962-D Vito Cruz 523-4278

Laxamana Ma. Gina 1915 J. Luna 252-3032

Lim Say 3001 J. Abad Santos Ext. 253-4174

Ng Chai Junk Shop 761 Camba 243-1207/243-1146

Parings Junk Shop 455 Gerolna 272964

Tan Arcadio 575 Camba 461030

Rolly's Junk Shop 1 Capt. Cruz St., Tanza, Navotas, MM 221498

OJ Junk Shop 2525 Onyx St. San Andres Bukid, MM

Estelita Junk Shop 2594 Singalong

Vi-Will Empty Bottle Dealer 1145 Plaza A Hernandez 27-26-06

WG & A Philippines G/F Harbour Centre II 23rd St. cor. Railroad South Harbour Port Area, Mla. hopeinthecan@wgasuperferry.com 5274605 loc. 4161 5276460 5272027 -aluminum cans

Sto. Nino de Pandacan Parish
Pandacan, Manila
Jesus St., near Caritas Center
- plastic, styrofoam, laminates
SEE MORE DETAILS

Brgy. Ugong Pasig/ Livelihood F. Legaspi St., Brgy. Ugong, Pasig City 6715961/ 6715956/ 6714071 Contact: Aling Pining/ Nery

Cathay Pacific Steel Corp 25 F Galeria Corp Center EDSA Cor Ortigas Ave. Benjamin Chua 6338033 -steel

Numer's Junk Shop Co. Licsi St., Caniiogan

Benito's Junk Shop Bo. Sn. Miguel, Pasig

Papermills Enterprises (Recycling Dept.) Col. Licsi St., Caniogan

Reyes' Junk Shop & Dump Site, Pinagbuhatan, Pasig

Rino's Junk Shop Bo. Caniogan , Pasig

San Miguel Packaging Product Benjamin Gregorio / Ulyzess Jesus 632320 Fax: 6373167 -all types of waste except ABC PVC

Adventure Mfg. Co. 77-D Pablo St. Karuhatan, Val., MM 2920550 Contact: Mr. Genaro Chua -plastic recycler

Hopewell Poly Ind. Corp. 107 Balubalas St., Val., MM 2924746/ 2929818 fax 2927974 Contact: Efren Go -plastic recycler

Francisco Capinpin A. Marcelo St. Dalan-danan, Val., MM

Hilton Mfg. Corp. 648 T. Santiago St., Linunan Robert Yu 2928134 -aluminum

Interpolymer Corp Malabo-Maysan, Val. Alex Go 292-4878 fax: 292-7726 -plastic

Marulas Indt'l Corp 141 McArthur H-way, Marulas, Val. Wilson Fung/ Michael Mancilla 2918105 to 07 -all types of waste except ABS PVC

MultiPET 1st Malinta Assoc Sud. Omega Corner Dama St., Val Wilfredo Go 2924011 2932949 -plastic recycler

Myramar Junk Shop Gen. 1 De Leon Val, MM -metal, paper

Pacific Plastic Industry 7 T. Santiago Canumay Val., MM Contact: Ellaine Reyes, Elsie David 2927831 to 34/ 2921185 Fax: 292-7840 -plastic recycler

Paper City Corp of the Phils A. Mariano St., Gen. T. De Leon, Val Michael Sy 2410489 8178469 8195241 Fax: 2410152 -paper

Polyhome Industries 16 Isidro Francisco St., Maysan Rd., Val. Clara Jim 292-8111 Fax: 292-8115 -plastic recycler

RMCE Junk Dealer F. Santiago Val., MM 294-1031

Sunrise Paper Mills 3549 M. Delos Reyes St., Gen. T. De Leon, Val., MM Robert Yu 2933002 Fax: 2915117 -paper

T.A.T. Industries 42 Don Pablo Subd. Rincon St., Malinta, Valenzuela City, 1444 Jean Cregencia 4445044 / 2934290 tatindustries @mindgate.net -specializes in plastic recycling

Valenzuela Pelletized Plastic Products 10 Isidro Francisco St., Maysan Rd., Val Choi Siukam 02-2925024 Fax: 02-2920895

Vanson Paper Industrial 150 R. Delfin, Marulas Eddy Sy 2316806 Fax: 2916818 -paper

Caltex Julia Vargas "Bantay Baterya Project" Ortigas Center 6343812 batteries (car/appliance)

Earth Management System 115 Calbayog St. Cor. Dr. Fernandez, Mand. 5350564 0917+9444956 Contact: Ruben Posadas -segregated and cleaned wastes

HMR Super Surplus Bodega Reliance & Sheridan Sts. near Pioneer, Mand. 6340526 -they buy your surplus! electronics, base metals, computer/appliance reycling, telephone systems, racking & shelving, precision testing, spare parts

Ma. Gina Laxamana 1915 J. Luna 252-3032

Mrs.Delia Plana 54 Mariveles St., Mand. 709134 -scrap paper

Synber Mfg. Inc. Meliton Espiritu Ave. Cor. Sucat Road, PQUE, MM (046)4302133 / 8267827 / 8255356 Fax: 8267228 Contact: Val Co -plastic recycler

Traqueña Enterprises 2525 Iba, St, East Service Rd. United PQUE Subd. 1 Brgy. San Martin de Porres 8233135 Contact Nilo Jim Traqueña

Cyric's Trade and Services 981 P. Noval St. Sampaloc, Mla 8694305 / 8694371 / 3140338 Rechlle Mata -scrap metals, unserviceable appliances, junked office machines, medical & industrial equipment, electrical items, demolition

United Pulp and Paper Phinma Bldg., 166 Salcedo St., Legaspi Vill., Makati, MM 8109526 fax 8127768 Contact: JImmy Macatangay -corrugated carton recycler

Milwaukee Industries 2155 Pasong Tamo St., Mkti, MM 8138892/ fax 8103536 Contact: Alex Ngui -metal/solder waste recycler

Bacnotan Steel Corp. 166 Salcedo St. Legaspi Vill., Mkti. 8109526 fax 8152779 Contact: Mike Andrada -metal/solder waste recycler

Coca Cola Bottlers Phils. Inc. 5/F Feliza Bldg. 108 Herrera St. Legaspi Vill., Mkti. 8406907/8406909 -aluminum cans

Vargas Junk Shop 7214 J. Victor St., Mkti.

Tejada's Junk Shop Antonio Cor. J. Victor, Mkti., MM

Manny's Junk Shop 5565 J.P. Binay St. Rio Del Pilar, Mkti., MM 8164469

Myrna's Junk Shop 2206 Marconi St. Mkti., MM 844-0118 -all kinds of scrap For info. call Myrna or Rudy Manalo

New Testament-Rizon Junk Shop 7686 JB Roxas Mkti. MM 890-1369

Petron Holiday "Bantay Baterya Project" Buendia Cor. Makati Ave. 8905228 to 29 -batteries (car/appliance)

Reyes Romy Trading 6580-A E Rmos Mkti., MM 843-9688

Shell Magallanes "Bantay Baterya Project" South Super, Magallanes 8527903 -batteries (car/appliance)

Shell Maya "Bantay Baterya Project" Buendia Cor. Makati Ave. 7592308 -batteries (car/appliance)

TIPCO (Trust International Paper Corp) 6/F, ACE Bldg, 101 Rada Cor. dela Rosa St., Legazpi Vill. 8909781 to 96 loc. 342 Fax: 8159460 Contact: Roland Peña -any quantity of used paper / newsprint

Recycling Bins at Makati City Hall, Zuellig Bldg., Urdaneta Village Office - unbroken light bulbs, fluorescent tubes, and batteries used for toys, appliances, laptops and mobile phones.

Envirocycling Fiber Inc. (EFI Urdaneta) #187 Pimaludpod, Urdaneta City

Noah's Paper Mills South East Marcos Bridge, Marcos Hi-way,Calumpang David Hwang 6455678 Fax: 8439075 -paper

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Metro Manila Recycling Centers - papemelroti

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QUEZON CITY Container Corp of the Phils 60 Old Samson Rd., Balintawak 1106 Jose Gan / Victor Pascual 3619801 to 06 Fax: 3623607 -paper Envirocycling Fiber Inc. (EFI Sauyo) Manchester Industrial Compound, Nawasa Road, Sauyo, Novaliches, QC 0917-801-6955 / 0917-571-4139 - paper PEMA Plastic Mfg. Corp. 80 Mendez Rd., Bae

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Individuals recognizing their part to help change consumption patterns is one thing but it is not and shouldn't be exclusive to just individuals. In order to achieve the said target, businesses play a significant role towards making a huge impact to reducing waste.

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Many new business owners underestimate the importance of their waste management and recycling strategy. Your strategy will dictate how your business produces and deals with waste, ultimately predicting its environmental sustainability - and public perception. It will also cost you money.

With better habits and strategies in place, a new business can save money, increase its efficiency, and improve its environmental friendliness simultaneously.

Is your company taking care of its community the way it should be?
Getty

The Importance of Waste Auditing

The most important step you can take is conducting a waste audit. Working with a professional waste auditor, you'll take a deep dive into your waste management and recycling habits, evaluating your waste management practices, existing contracts, and plans for the future.

Through an independent waste audit, you'll discover the ways you're overspending on waste management. Likewise, you'll identify opportunities for savings. Depending on what you find and how you apply those insights, you may be able to reduce your overall waste spending by 35 to 40 percent.

Reducing Waste

Your first goal is to reduce the amount of waste you produce. Chances are high that your waste management provider is charging you partially on how much waste you produce. That could mean charging you for each waste container used or charging you for any overages. Even if volume isn't an issue, you can still reduce waste as a way to make your business more sustainable and more environmentally friendly.

Consider these options:

1. Composting

Composting has become more mainstream in recent years, especially for business owners. If your business produces organic waste, consider adding it to a compost pile. Not only will it provide a convenient way to get rid of most of your organic waste, but it can also lead to healthier soil in your community.

2. Recycling

Recycling is an obvious choice. You might have to pay for recycling services, as you do with other forms of waste management, but it's a friendlier option for the environment - and recycling helps reduce other forms of waste. Make sure your employees are educated on which materials can be recycled and which ones can't, and place recycling bins throughout your business so they're easily accessible.

3. Packaging

You'll also want to consider the packaging that's included in your main products, supplies, and shipments. Excessive packaging can instantly multiply the amount of waste you produce for each product; the extra boxes and containers serve little purpose and end up in the trash. Choose low-packaging alternatives when possible, and eliminate disposable products like bottled water altogether.

4. Shifting Paperless

You can also consider converting your business to a paperless model. Going paperless is tough, especially if you have legacy records and processes that have been holding you back for years. However, once you make the change, you'll never want to go back. Start by digitizing your old records and reinforcing new processes and policies, like submitting invoices via email or only making payments digitally. Your paper waste will instantly shrink.

Reducing Waste-Related Costs

Of course, even with these waste reduction practices in place, your business will produce waste and pay for it. You can reduce the amount of money you pay for these services with some critical attention to these areas:

1. Extra fees

What are you paying for? In many cases, your waste management provider will itemize your bill with a number of different fees, but do you fully understand them? For example, you may be forced to pay an overage fee if you exceed the allowed amount of waste. You may also pay fees for things like fuel, environmental costs, regulation-related fees, maintenance fees, franchise costs, removal, and contamination fees. Are there ways to reduce or eliminate these extra fees? What do they really cover?

2. Extra equipment

You may also have more waste removal equipment than you truly need, like too many containers. Generally, the bigger these are and the more of them you have, the more you're going to pay. If you're not utilizing these, the extra costs are wasteful.

3. Price increases

As with many types of businesses, waste management companies tend to increase their prices over time. Are these price increases justified? What does your contract allow? Are you able to negotiate a new deal?

There are dozens of ways for your business to reduce the waste it produces and reduce waste spending (while preserving the core services you need). However, this can be overwhelming - especially for a new business owner with limited experience in the waste management space.

The best place to start is with a waste audit from an independent third party; this will help you understand the current scope of your waste management services and show you where to improve. Cutting waste, after all, is the first step to increasing your resources.

... Read More

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How New Businesses Can Improve Their Waste Management

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Many new business owners underestimate the importance of their waste management and recycling strategy. Your strategy will dictate how your business produces and deals with waste, ultimately predicting its environmental sustainability - and public perception. It will also cost you money.

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One scientist has made a significant advancement. John Layman, head of material science at Procter & Gamble and chief technologist and founding inventor of PureCycle Technologies, developed a revolutionary process to remove color, odor, and contaminants from polypropylene plastic waste and transform it into a “virgin-like” resin, which is the basis for plastic products. PureCycle’s technology presents a major development in recycling capabilities, and focusing on polypropylene is especially notable. It’s the second-most used plastic in the world, yet only 1 percent is currently recycled.

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Plastic waste is one of the most urgent environmental issues of our time. Less than 10 percent of the plastic we use is recycled, and there's currently an estimated 100 million tons of plastic in oceans around the world. But what would happen if we stopped thinking of plastic as waste, and instead as a valuable renewable resource?

Scientists around the world want to find out. The plastic "end-of-life challenge" calls for new ways to recycle and reuse plastics endlessly in a closed loop system, so they never become waste. Innovation on that scale would convert the current "make-take-dispose" linear economy into a circular economy, where recycling plastic for eternity is possible.

One scientist has made a significant advancement. John Layman, head of material science at Procter & Gamble and chief technologist and founding inventor of PureCycle Technologies, developed a revolutionary process to remove color, odor, and contaminants from polypropylene plastic waste and transform it into a "virgin-like" resin, which is the basis for plastic products. PureCycle's technology presents a major development in recycling capabilities, and focusing on polypropylene is especially notable. It's the second-most used plastic in the world, yet only 1 percent is currently recycled.

Layman's colleague and former classmate Scott Trenor, a senior polymer scientist at Milliken & Company, contributed a key set of plastic additives to increase the viability of PureCycle materials. Additives are chemical substances that modify the properties of plastics so they can be used in different types of products. For example, a car bumper would need to be more durable and impact-resistant, while a yogurt cup would need to be more flexible. Now Milliken and PureCycle are working together to scale and advance the technology, with plans to start commercial-scale production at PureCycle's first plant, in Ohio, in 2021.

Trenor says the collaboration is a natural fit, partly because "both companies have a very strong environmental purpose." Milliken's first recycling policy dates back to 1901, and the company just launched ambitious sustainability goals that include creating circular economies and zero waste to landfill by 2025. PureCycle's technology supports P&G's vision of using 100 percent recyclable or renewable materials in its packaging.

Trenor's motivation is closer to home. He often takes his 4-year-old son to ride mountain bikes near his home in South Carolina, and he's been disheartened to see an increase in plastic litter in natural spaces. "It's not the way I want to leave things for the future generation," he says.

Layman agrees. While studying plastics in graduate school, he was amazed at the volume of material being produced, and horrified by how much was ending up in the environment. "Since the day you were born, there's a pile of trash with your name on it," he says. "The first diaper you wore as a newborn is likely still on this planet somewhere."

He got interested in recycling in 2008, when he was tasked with buying plastic waste from recyclers and surveying its usefulness for P&G's products and packaging. "You quickly realize there's a lot of issues when it comes to the quality of recycled material," he says. Currently, only two kinds of plastic, PET and HDPE, are economically viable for recyclers, and even those are hard to upcycle into high-quality products.

Layman focused on polypropylene because it's one of the three largest plastic resins used in the world. Its super powers include flexibility and impact resistance. It's found in most caps on most bottles. It's in luggage and carpets, computers and phones. In the grocery store, it's everywhere-yet it's hardly the favorite of recyclers looking to make a profit. It holds onto pungent smells and contaminants, and it can only be made into black or gray products. For those reasons, the little that's recycled is usually made into park benches or car bumpers-important but limited applications.

To recycle polypropylene into higher-value products, Layman knew he would first have to purify the plastic waste, and in an energy-efficient way. He worked on the discovery phase with financial backing from an internal seed fund program at P&G. The resulting PureCycle technology relies on a physical solvent-based process that uses less energy than a chemical process because it doesn't have to break down and build up the molecule. "It's the combination of the solvent choice, plus specific process steps, that enable us to purify this material in a way that nobody's been able to do before," he says.

Once the material has been purified, the question is what to do with it. Trenor explains that when scientists create plastic products from scratch, "they have a lot of knobs they can turn to select the exact set of properties they need for a certain application." Working with recycled material is more challenging.

That's where Milliken's additives come in-they can modify PureCycle's polypropylene resin for use in a diverse set of applications. For the first time, recycled polypropylene doesn't have to become a car bumper. Purified and modified, the resin can be molded into different products with different properties in a closed loop.

The first PureCycle plant is expected to purify and recycle 119 million pounds of polypropylene and produce 105 million pounds each year. Those numbers sound huge, but Layman puts it in perspective by pointing out that 120 billion pounds of polypropylene were produced globally in 2018 alone. "You can see we have a long way to go," he says.

He compares PureCycle with wind and solar energy technology before they scaled up. "We have an ambition to build 25 plants around the world, each one bigger than the last," he says. "This is plant number one." Eventually, he hopes to PureCycle at least 10 to 20 percent of all polypropylene plastic.

"For all of these technologies, it's really more of a marathon than a sprint," says Trenor. He also notes that the plastic end-of-life challenge doesn't concern technology alone. For PureCycle or any other initiative to succeed, consumers need to change their behavior and recycle more, and recyclers need the ability and financial incentive to process more than PET and HDPE.

Trenor says that U.S. recycling facilities are part of the problem. "A lot of the separation capabilities in their infrastructure was built 20 or 30 years ago when there wasn't as much plastic," he explains. "So they were built for paper, cardboard, steel, and glass. As those materials have decreased in volume and plastics have increased, the technology and infrastructure hasn't kept up."

Meanwhile, demand for recycled plastic is high. Consumer goods manufacturers are committing to using minimum percentages of recycled content in their packaging, and new legislation in California and Europe requires it. The Association of Plastic Recyclers reported in 2012 that in North America alone, there was demand for 1 billion pounds of recycled polypropylene.

Supply, however, can't keep up. "Recyclers are screaming for more material because they can't fill their current orders," Trenor says.That's mainly because people just aren't recycling enough. "Once it's in the consumer's hand, there needs to be some personal responsibility to put it in the right bin, sort it in the right way, and make sure it doesn't end up in a landfill, or even worse, on a beach or in the forest somewhere."

Trenor is excited about his role in new innovations that have the potential to curb plastic waste, but he knows it will take more than science. "Milliken isn't going to solve this problem alone. PureCycle isn't going to solve this problem alone," he says. "We need a diverse group of people, companies, NGOs, and governments to work together to solve the problem of plastic waste."

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Plastic waste is one of the most urgent environmental issues of our time. Less than 10 percent of the plastic we use is recycled, and there's currently an estimated 100 million tons of plastic in oceans around the world. But what would happen if we stopped thinking of plastic as waste, and instead as a valuable renewable resource?

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REGION IV-A CALABARZON