OFFICIAL STATEMENT ON WASTE-TO-ENERGY PROJECT IN ILOILO CITY

 On March 1, 2024, Iloilo City signed its contract exchange with Metro Pacific Water (MPW), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Metro Pacific Water Investments Corporation (MPWLC), for the construction of the Integrated Solid Waste Management Facility (ISWMF), which includes a waste-to-energy incinerator (WTE). 

We call on the Iloilo City Government to reconsider the construction of a WTE facility and conduct more intensive research and consultations with its stakeholders in the city. The initiative to establish a WtE project in Iloilo City, with a capacity to process 475 tons of waste daily, must be scrutinized within the broader context of the city's waste generation and management strategies. According to the 2021 Waste Analysis and Characterization Study, the city generates approximately 496 tons of waste per day, a significant portion of which is biodegradable (50%) or recyclable (25%), with only 25% residual materials. This data reveals a stark misalignment between the facility's capacity and the actual waste profile, suggesting the project might inadvertently foster more waste production, contrary to sustainable waste management practices mandated by Republic Act 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act. Given that only residual waste, which accounts for a quarter of the waste stream, should be landfilled or disposed of, the push for a WtE project does not just undermine the law but also encourages a cycle of waste production that contradicts waste minimization goals.

Moreover, the plan conflicts with Republic Act 8749, or the Clean Air Act, which aims to protect and preserve the quality of Philippine air. WtE projects, despite advances in technology, entail the combustion of waste materials, a process that inherently emits greenhouse gasses, toxic compounds, and particulate matter. These emissions can contribute to air pollution, pose health risks to the population, and harm the environment. Even with state-of-the-art pollution control mechanisms, the risk of releasing dioxins, furans, and other harmful pollutants cannot be entirely eliminated. Such pollutants are known for their persistence in the environment and potential to bioaccumulate, leading to severe ecological and health impacts over time.

The proposed WtE facility falls short of addressing the fundamental aspects of waste management that align with environmental preservation and resource conservation principles. It not only undermines the objectives of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act and the Clean Air Act but also represents a step backward in our collective efforts to foster a sustainable and healthy environment. It disregards the prioritization of waste reduction, recycling, and composting – strategies that should form the cornerstone of our approach to solid waste management. In our long and vast experience of establishing Zero Waste systems, waste minimization and institutionalizing of reuse systems; reduction of problematic and single-use plastics; and  robust management to recover  used materials and resources are far more cost-effective and more environmentally acceptable.

The WTE facility, which is scheduled to be constructed in October this year, claims to spare the city government from spending too much to operate their sanitary landfills by processing 475 tons of solid waste per day. As seen in experiences of WTE-reliant countries such as Japan and Singapore, this effort of the city government doesn’t eliminate the need for a landfill. The incineration of waste results in hazardous ash which requires special handling and disposal in a hazardous waste landfill. Furthermore, the WTE facility requires a continuous 24/7  supply of feedstock, thus encouraging the problematic generation of single-use plastics and other unnecessary wastes. This also states the fact that this facility will also consume  large amounts of electricity to operate which makes it an expensive waste management strategy that fails to provide cost-effective services in terms of energy generation and waste disposal. 

Hence, this facility would not address the current environmental issues of Iloilo City, rather it would only produce toxic and hazardous pollutants such as dioxins and furans known to cause cancers and other life-threatening diseases which are considered more toxic than the original waste.  

We would like to emphasize that the Iloilo Provincial Government has already launched early this year their inspiring zero waste campaign. We wholeheartedly support these initiatives as they not only align with the principles and provisions of Republic Act 9003 but also present practical and achievable solutions for Iloilo, which can also be implemented in Iloilo City. Such approaches, emphasizing waste prevention and responsible management, are preferred over the establishment of WtE facilities. The path towards sustainable solid waste management requires a broader, more holistic approach. Waste is a complex issue that cannot be solved solely by the construction of a single facility.