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Also, the matters contained in the following were written in accordance with the law, rules, and jurisprudence prevailing at the time of writing and posting, and do not include any future developments on the subject matter under discussion.
AT A GLANCE:
The month of January of every year is declared as Zero Waste Month by virtue of Proclamation 760, series of 2014.
Zero Waste refers to the ethical, economical, efficient and visionary goal to guide people in changing their lifestyles and practices to emulate sustainable natural cycles, where all discarded materials are designed to become resources for others to use.
In response to the advocacy that promotes designing and managing products and processes to systematically avoid and eliminate the volume and toxicity of waste and materials, and to conserve and recover all resources, and not indiscriminately dispose or burn them, Proclamation No. 760, series of 2014 was issued declaring the month of January as the Zero Waste Month.
Proclamation No. 760, series of 2014 states:
“NOW, THEREFORE, I, BENIGNO S. AQUINO, III, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby declare every month of January as “Zero Waste Month.” All heads of departments, agencies, and instrumentalities of the national government, including Government-Owned or -Controlled Corporations, Local Government Units, and other sectors are hereby encouraged to extend their support and participate in the programs and activities to be held for this purpose.”
The Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 (Republic Act No. 9003)
Solid Waste refers to all discarded household, commercial waste, non-hazardous institutional and industrial waste, street sweepings, construction debris, agricultural waste, and other non-hazardous or non-toxic solid waste. (Section 3, par. kk, R.A. No. 9003)
It is policy of the State, through Republic Act No. 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, to adopt a systematic, comprehensive and ecological waste management program. Such program shall ensure the protection of public health and the environment and utilize environmentally-sound methods that maximize valuable resources and encourage resource conservation and recovery, among others.
Such systematic, comprehensive and ecological waste management program shall:
(a) Ensure the protection of the public health and environment;
(b) Utilize environmentally-sound methods that maximize the utilization of valuable resources and encourage resource conservation and recovery;
(c) Set guidelines and targets for solid waste avoidance and volume reduction through source reduction and waste minimization measures, including composting, recycling, re-use, recovery, green charcoal process, and others, before collection, treatment and disposal in appropriate and environmentally sound solid waste management facilities in accordance with ecologically sustainable development principles;
(d) Ensure the proper segregation, collection, transport, storage, treatment and disposal of solid waste through the formulation and adoption of the best environmental practice in ecological waste management excluding incineration;
(e) Promote national research and development programs for improved solid waste management and resource conservation techniques, more effective institutional arrangement and indigenous and improved methods of waste reduction, collection, separation and recovery;
(f) Encourage greater private sector participation in solid waste management;
(g) Retain primary enforcement and responsibility of solid waste management with local government units while establishing a cooperative effort among the national government, other local government units, non- government organizations, and the private sector;
(h) Encourage cooperation and self-regulation among waste generators through the application of market-based instruments;
(i) Institutionalize public participation in the development and implementation of national and local integrated, comprehensive, and ecological waste management programs; and
(j) Strength the integration of ecological solid waste management and resource conservation and recovery topics into the academic curricula of formal and non-formal education in order to promote environmental awareness and action among the citizenry. (Section 2, R.A. No. 9003)
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