Municipal Solid Waste Management in Metro Manila: Challenges and Options

Disposal and recycling of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in Metropolitan Manila is tackled. The waste landscape of the Metropolis is characterized by limited disposal capacity and low rates of reduction, reuse, and recycling. Dumping sites serve merely as a sink without adequate engineering controls to ensure safety of communities. Potential of landfill gas for energy is high but has yet to be fully harnessed. Legislations are in place but require serious political will to implement them. Private enterprises should be provided with additional responsibility in recycling. Comprehensive database on MSW is also wanted for planning purposes. This can be realized through partnership among the national government, local government units, civil society, and the private sector. This entails that monitoring and evaluation is a shared responsibility. Community-based recycling is emerging with handicraft-making and composting as key features. Composting needs markets and sustainable organic farming should be pushed wth vigor. Best practices should be pursued by the government and NGOs so that ecological waste management at the local level is attractive. On the social dimension, the role of waste pickers needs to be mainstreamed in the formal recycling to avoid social and economic displacement.