The City Government is paving the way for the conversion of the 4.6 hectare former Lumbangan dumpsite into an eco-park that will cater waste recycling facilities with the goal of reducing plastic waste and prolonging the life span of the sanitary land fill (SLF).

Gerry Pollisco of the Office of City Environment and Natural Resources (OCENR) said post closure activities are now being undertaken by the City Engineer’s Office (CEO) at the dumpsite, which ceased operation in 2015.

Under the proposal, the area will be converted into an ecological park that will cater waste recycling facilities as well as the establishment of a solar farm using light material structures.

The park is also considered to be used for landfill mining activities whereby disposed wastes will be fed to Waste-to-Energy (WTE) facility/ technology, RDE, electric power among others, a proposal that is still under study, according to Polllisco.

The landfill mining activities will not be limited to the city government but open to private entities that intends to invest in waste to energy projects.

The planned eco-park will be implemented as soon as post closure activities, now between 85-90%, are complete.

As post closure activities are undergoing, the city-operated Material Recovery Facility (MRF) remains in operation, as residual wastes are transferred or brought to the SLF in Pasobolong.

Based on OCENR’s waste characterization survey, plastics compose 39% of the total waste disposed at the SLF while 61% is biodegradable waste.

The proposed technology in waste project will reduce plastic wastes and ultimately extend the life span of the SLF, according to Pollisco.

The Lumbangan controlled disposal facility was closed in 2015 in time for the use of the SLF in compliance with Republic Act 9003 or the Solid Waste Ecological Management Act of 2000 and other existing laws.   (Sheila Covarrubias)