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By James Konstantin Galvez, Reporter
To help promote recycling and
waste management in his locality, Mayor Benhur Abalos of Mandaluyong
City unveiled Monday a locally produced pulverizing machine that can
turn plastic waste products like candy wrappers, doy packs and
styrofoam into raw materials for making cement blocks.
Abalos said that the byproduct of
the plastic waste—brick cement—will be used for the
beautification of the pavements in Mandaluyong City.
“Around
50 percent of the garbage is composed of plastic and with the
segregation of this material, the local government will save a lot
in the cost of dumping garbage,” Abalos said.
Teresa Calo, a waste management
consultant, said the machine is manufactured in Teresa, Rizal and
costs a reasonable P234,000.
“If ever, Mandaluyong will be
the first to use the pulverizing machine in the NCR [National
Capital Region],” she added.
Plastic is very good binder for
cement and sand, according to city engineer Cris Roxas. The
by-product of the pulverizer already passed the standards of the
Department of Science and Technology.
Plastic wastes pose a great
danger to the environment, because these are not biodegradable and
can clog waterways, which can lead to flooding.
Abalos also said the 27 barangays
in the city will be centralized to collect all the plastic waste
gathered by their respective material recovery facility (MRF).
“This activity will be done in
a communal effort. We should help each other in order to come out
with the best product for the city’s use and eventually to be sold
in the market,” he said.
Abalos added that they will tap
the Department of Social Welfare and Development to promote the
recycling program among out-of-school youths, especially in Barangay
Welfareville.
“A number of residents will
also be given the opportunity to earn a small living with the
conduct of this MRF program,” Abalos said.
Mandaluyong City has procured
three dump trucks and one boom truck to effectively collect garbage
within the city.
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