Campaign materials, fruit waste ups DC’s trash collections

DAVAO CITY April 25 (PIA)- fruit wastes and campaign materials have contributed to the rise of the daily collected trash in Davao City.

Dolores Remojo Officer-In-Charge of the City Environment and Natural Resources Office said that based on data taken from the weighbridge at the Davao City Sanitary Landfill daily trash collections for the month of April has gone up to 430 tons as compared to the previous collections weighing 410 tons a day.

Remojo said that the 20 ton s increase are mostly fruit wastes like peelings and husks while the rest are campaign materials which Remojo estimates to be five to 10 percent of the added trash.

She said it is usual for the city to experience high trash collection rate during fruiting season particularly Durian which is currently in season.

According to Remojo the CENRO had discussions with fruit vendors along the famed Durian row at Magsaysay Park where a truck had been contracted and stationed in the area to bring the durian husks and other wastes back to the supplier farms where they are made to fertilizers or hand-made paper.

But the CENRO OIC said that some makeshift or freelance fruit stalls would just put their wastes into sacks and place them in garbage collection points and these contribute to the waste collected.

As for campaign materials, Enojo said they are anticipating a further increase in garbage collections with the Commission of Elections (Comelec) and the Davao City Police Office conducting Oplan Baklas or the removal of campaign materials posted beyond the Comelec-designated posting areas.

The CENRO is focused on removing campaign posters nailed or tied in trees growing in public or unfenced areas. 

Presidential Decree 953 prohibits the injuring of trees planted in public spaces while Comelec Resolution 9615 specifically prohibits campaign materials posted or tied on trees. Remojo bared that 65% of the violators on tree posting are local candidates.  (PIA/RG Alama)