EcoWaste Coalition to Brigada Eskwela: Go Zero Waste and Toxics-Free
As various stakeholders prepare for the Brigada Eskwela starting this Monday, the EcoWaste Coalition encouraged those involved in this unique Bayanihan to aim for zero waste and toxics-free school clean-up and renovation activities.
The environmental and health group specifically reminded the Brigada Eskwela participants not to mix and burn trash, break busted fluorescent lamps and disturb painted surfaces, which may be coated with lead-containing paints.
Open burning, the group warned, creates byproduct toxins, including highly toxic dioxins, which can trigger eye, throat and skin irritation, headaches, asthma and heart problems. Dioxins are known to cause cancer, reproductive and developmental problems, and damage the immune system.
Mixing used compact and linear fluorescent lamps with other discards may cause their glass tubes to break and release the mercury vapor inside that can be inhaled by people, including waste workers, it said. Exposure to mercury can damage the brain and the central nervous system and result in neurological and behavioral disorders.
Improper handling of surfaces coated with leaded paints will contaminate the surroundings with lead-containing chips and dust that are harmful if ingested or inhaled, especially by children and women of child-bearing age, the group added. Lead is a cumulative toxicant affecting various organs and systems of the body, including the brain and the central nervous system, and is particularly harmful to babies in the womb and young children.
For a zero waste and toxics-free Brigada Eskwela, the EcoWaste Coalition invited all participants, especially the school administrators, teachers, parents, students, non-teaching personnel and volunteers to take the following reminders to heart:
1. Observe the proper segregation of discards at source to facilitate their reuse, recycling or composting, and to minimize the volume of garbage for disposal. Put up some reminders on ecological solid waste management.
2. Do not set trash on fire to prevent the generation of environmental pollutants such as fine particles, heavy metals and dioxins.
3. Compost biodegradable discards such as yard trimmings to produce natural fertilizer or soil enhancer for the school garden.
4. Clean up the school’s Materials Recovery Facility (MRF), also known as Ecology Center, including the containers or segregators for properly-labeled recyclable and compostable discards.
5. Handle busted fluorescent lamps with care to prevent mercury spill; do not mix such lamps with ordinary trash, and properly store and dispose of them as hazardous waste.
6. Choose safer cleaning agents and refrain from using hazardous substances that are corrosive to the eyes, skin and respiratory tract such as oxalic and muriatic acid.
7. Keep the school premises smoke-free by not smoking or vaping and burning garbage.
8. Use only certified lead-safe paints for school interiors, exteriors, furniture and fixtures, gymnasium, play equipment and other school amenities.
For safer painting and repainting activities, Brigada Eskwela participants are further reminded to:
a. Keep children and pregnant women out of the work area (lead is very hazardous to developing fetuses).
b. Refrain from dry sanding or dry scraping painted surfaces that might contain lead so as not to disperse lead dust into the surroundings.
c. Clean up paint chips immediately.
d. Use a moist mop or rag to rid floors, windows, window frames and sills, chairs and tables and other surfaces of dust, and wash it thoroughly after use.
e. Wash hands properly with soap and water before meals and after the work is done.
f. After a repainting job, change clothes before going home, set aside in a sealed reusable bag and wash separately.
g. Clean or remove shoes and slippers before entering your home to avoid bringing in soil that may contain lead into the house.
The observance of the above Brigada Eskwela tips will be consistent with the provisions of existing laws and regulations, including the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, DENR's chemical control orders for lead and mercury, and DepEd's directive on the mandatory use of lead-safe paints in schools, as well as with our country's commitments under the Minamata Convention on Mercury and the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, the EcoWaste Coalition said.
-end-
Reference:
http://emb.gov.ph/wp-content/
http://server2.denr.gov.ph/
http://www.deped.gov.ph/
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