BY LOUANGEL JEI D. BENJAMIN
MIAG-AO, Iloilo – Each month, this southern municipality churns out an estimated five tons of plastic waste. An innovative undertaking is proving to be an effective solution to this problem.
The Basura Mo, Pagkaon Ko (BMPK) Project has lessened the plastic wastes of residents exchanging their low density plastics (LDPs) with food packs.
To motivate more Miagaowanons to support his waste segregation campaign, Mayor Macario Napulan thought of incentivizing the collection of LDPs.
“Kay tungod indi gid ma-segregate sang mayo ang mga basura nila sa pamalay,” Napulan said.
For every five kilograms of LDP, citizens are provided with food packs (one kilogram of rice, two cans of sardines and one bar of laundry soap).
LDPs are lightweight plastics like sando bags, shampoo and coffee sachets which are commonly used in every household.
Through the BMPK project, Miag-ao has been able to reduce plastic wastes from five tons a month to the current three tons a month, said Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO) staff Jeyson Toledo.
LDPs are collected by MENRO personnel every Saturday starting in Barangay Narat-an to Brangay Calampitao from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
One of the supporters of the BMPK project is Hernan Gabinete, a Barangay Kirayan Norte resident.
“Nami kay mabayluhan ang plastic kang pagkaon kag malimpyuhan man ang palibot,” he said. “Makabulig gid ang bugas, habon kag sardinas,” he said.
The collected LDP are stored in a residual containment area at the materials recovery facility located in Barangay Baybay Norte until they reach one ton.
It takes approximately two months to reach the one ton quota of collected LDP from the community.
Once the quota is reached, the MENRO will deliver it to the municipality of San Miguel wherein a facility funded by the Villar Foundation would melt and turn one ton of plastics into 50 armchairs.
The local government of Miag-ao has gathered enough plastics for 150 armchairs since it was first implemented in 2018.
Initial beneficiaries of these armchairs are Miag-ao Central Elementary School, Guibongan Integrated School and Olango Integrated School.
“The chairs are used by Grade 3 students from last year until this year,” Miag-ao Central Elementary School principal Jacinta Nonato said./PN
