Maintaining that waste-to-energy (WTE) is a “false solution” to the country’s garbage woes, over 100 civil-society groups, informal waste workers associations, faith-based institutions, trade unions, academe, and community-based organizations, have asked for the withdrawal of Senate Bill 1789 authored by Sen. Sherwin T. Gatchalian.
The appeal was made through a letter sent to the senators of the 18th Congress and signed by leaders of over 100 organizations who expressed concern over what called as the potential harm WTE technologies and facilities pose to human health, environment, and the economic standing of local government units.
WTE is being eyed not only as a solution to the garbage problem, but also part of the solution on the perennial energy supply shortage, particularly in remote, and off-grid areas.
However, the opposition to its application is stiffly being opposed.
“WTE facilities are ineffective solutions to deal with waste. Scientific studies clearly show that incineration processes in WTE facilities emit significant quantities of direct greenhouse gases, and are sources of indirect greenhouse gases, including large amounts of dioxins and furans,” the groups said in a news statement.
Gob Alimangohan of EcoWaste Coalition said allowing WTE incineration prevents the country from pursuing solutions that conserve resources and protect health.
“WTE technologies and facilities are false solutions that will cause more harm than good. The claims that these facilities are safe, effective and economically beneficial are inaccurate. There are scientific studies and illustrative cases from all over the world that show that WTE facilities harm human health, damage the environment and are ruinously expensive to maintain. In addition to these direct harms, these technologies also create a false narrative about the appropriate responses to waste management and take away necessary support for actual sustainable solutions,” he said.
Incineration is prohibited under the Clean Air Act and Ecological Solid Waste Management Act. If approved, the bill will only benefit the plastics industry and foreign waste management companies, the groups alleged.
“WTE incinerators are a convenient excuse for plastic polluters to avoid accountability for dealing with the worsening toxic pollution associated with their products,” Ecowaste Coalition National Coordinator Aileen Lucero said.
“Instead of championing harmful and quick-fix solutions like waste-to-energy incinerators, perhaps Senator Gatchalian could champion a bill that would ban single-use and other disposable plastic packaging and products,” she added.
They said there are viable solutions instead of misleading the minds of the public to accept the proposed law.
They claimed that some municipalities and barangays in the country are successfully practicing zero-waste in accordance with RA 9003, a circular system that minimizes unnecessary extraction and consumption, reduces waste, and ensures that products and materials are reused or recycled back into nature or into the market.
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