PH local governments juggle COVID-19 response and garbage problem
Dec 11, 2020 10:00 AM PHT
The coronavirus pandemic has penetrated Filipinos everyday life, affecting not just the country s healthcare system but even waste management especially at the local level.
Already overburdened with COVID-19 response and containment, local governments also have to contend with managing potentially hazardous waste from quarantine facilities and households, on top of increased amounts of household waste and plastic usage during the pandemic.
Recording 14.66 million tons of trash a year, the Philippines is the 4th largest generator of solid waste among country-members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, according to a report by the United Nations Environment Program. The Philippines Environment Management Bureau projected that the country s yearly waste may even rise to 18.05 million tons in 2020.