The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) vowed that solid waste management will remain a top priority to reach its goal of approving the 10-year solid waste management plans (SWMPs) of more local government units (LGUs) nationwide.

The National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC), chaired by the DENR, will focus on having 185 LGUs with approved 10-year SWMPs by the end of 2022 in compliance with Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.

As of February 22, a total of 1,175 SWMPs out of the target 1,716 plans have been approved, according to a news release on Sunday.

The NSWMC recently approved the SWMPs of Magallanes, Sorsogon; Balbalan, Kalinga; Pontevedra, Negros Occidental; and Abra.

The 10-year SWMP is a requirement under RA 9003 for the effective management of solid waste in cities and municipalities.

It contains strategies on proper waste collection, diversion, and disposal, as well as proper operation and maintenance of solid waste equipment and facility.

It also specifies actions such as information dissemination strategies to residents, the presence of materials recovery facility and sanitary landfill, biodegradable waste process, and partnership with organizations for their recycling.

The Covid-19 waste management plan is included among the strategies to avoid possible contamination caused by common medical wastes such as used face mask and other medical protective equipment.

An LGU with a drafted 10-year SWMP will undergo screening by the DENR-Environmental Management Bureau regional offices, while further validations will be conducted by the central office.

Lastly, it will go through deliberations and approval from the NSWMC members.

“Our battle against solid waste continues and we will not stop until all our LGUs have their approved SWMPs and have implemented these. We will continue to act fast on the problems of unsegregated wastes ending up in sanitary landfills, Covid-19 health care wastes, and the unchanged behavior of the majority of the Filipinos towards solid waste disposal,” DENR Acting Secretary Jim Sampulna said.

“The Commission commits to assist LGUs towards the approval of their solid waste management plans. We will not stop until we reach 100 percent approved SWMPs to have an environmentally-sound management of solid waste,” he added. (PNA)