Resource Recovery through RDF: Current Trends in Solid Waste Management in the Philippines

Solid waste management has always been about collection and disposal of garbage. We have currently moved on to a more efficient collection and disposal by using Engineered Sanitary Landfills in the Philippines. However, with the increase in population and the consequent increase in solid waste generation, we are now running out of spaces to establish solid waste disposal facilities. A global trend in solid waste management is towards resource recovery rather than disposal of waste. Resource recovery is no longer limited to recyclable materials such as tins, glass, paper, plastic and rubber. Resource recovery now involves the recovery of all solid waste materials, including residual waste. This is the value of RDF or refuse-derived fuel. RDF uses highly combustible residual waste, such as plastics and some biodegradable materials as fuel for cement kilns. It is currently being used by giant cement manufacturers Holcim and La Farge, consisting about 10% of the fuel they use in their cement kilns, which still uses an estimated 90% coal.The use of RDF, however, as a waste-to-energy technology must still be closely monitored under RA 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act 2000 as well as the Clean Air Act. It remains to be an incinerating technology that requires equipment for flue gascleaning system to prevent air pollution. If RDF can be maintained as a clean technology and recovery of RDF-qualified waste materials can be increased, resource recovery from solid waste will become more efficient, then someday, we will finally be able to achieve zero waste.