DENR to LGUs: Impose stiffer fines vs. garbage-segregation violators

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources is calling on local government units to slap stiffer fines against those who will fail to segregate their garbage.

"Our proposal to the local government units... we encourage them to come up with ordinances that give a minimum of P1,000 [fine] for those who will not segregate their solid waste," Environment Undersecretary Benny Antiporda said.

"'Yun po ang hinihiling natin na magkaroon ng talagang penalties na ika nga eh mararamdaman o masasaktan ang tao para maramdaman din nila ang ginagawa nila para sa kalikasan," he added.

The stiffer penalties to be imposed by LGUs will be on top of the P300 to P1,000 fine to be slapped against violators of the Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.

The DENR official said that urging LGUs to come up with stiffer penalties in their local ordinances is a faster way to address the "culture of indiscipline" on waste disposal than amending the Republic Act. No. 9003 or the Solid Waste Management law.

If solid waste are properly segregated as recyclables, biodegradable materials, and residuals, the amount of garbage ending up in sanitary landfills will be reduced to only about 20% to 30% as biodegradable wastes can be used as compost while recyclables can be reused for other purposes. —LBG, GMA News