2-3 years life span for Davao City Landfill

DAVAO CITY Feb. 12 (PIA)- The Davao City Sanitary Landfill will be filled up within 2 to 3 years with the growing number of trash transported to the site.

Dolores Remojo, acting assistant head of operations CENRO (City Environment and Natural Resources Office) said that that the accelerated life span of the dumpsite is due to non-segregation of wastes.

She said that originally the landfill was only for residual wastes or rubbish which cannot be recycled, re-used or composted. It is estimated that of the total daily garbage collection in the city which is estimated at about 500 to 600 tons about 10 to 15% of it are residual wastes.

The P268-million sanitary landfill located in Barangay New Carmen in Tugbok District has an area of 11 hectares of which 3.5 hectares is allotted as a holding pit for wastes and is lined with high-density polypropylene liners to prevent leachates from seeping underground.

It also has leachate retention pond, gas vents and monitoring wells. At its inauguration in 2009 it was considered as one of the most modern sanitary landfill in the country.

The landfill has an estimated life of 10 to 16 years if proper waste segregation is followed.

Remojo said that among options considered is a Waste-to-Energy plant which a feasibility study commissioned by the Japan International Coordinating Agency (JICA) was completed. The City Government is also now looking for new sites for another landfill.

She added that scavengers can give a little help in extending the life of the landfill at present there are 200 scavengers allowed in the area, though women and children scavengers are prohibited in the landfill.

If the landfill will be filled up it will be converted into an eco-park, Remojo said. (PIA/RG Alama)