As part of the solid waste management program of Mayor Albee Benitez to slowly transition into full recyclable program of all types of garbage, the city through the Department of Public Services (DPS) and IPM Construction and Development

Corporation made an initial delivery of around 1.5 tons of fruits and vegetables waste from Libertad and Burgos Markets to Fresh Start Organic Farm in Silay City Saturday, April 1.

These biowastes will go into process of vermi-composting that uses African Night Crawler worms and turned it into natural organic fertilizer.

IPM-CDC agreed that their personnel will do the shredding at the farm after a thoroughsegregation to ensure no plastics will contaminate the biowastes during the shredding

process.

The city will also deliver about a ton of biowastes to Bahay Pag-asa in Brgy. Granada which is run by University of St. La Salle for their composting program, Engr. Edmond Maceda, the SWM Consultant stated, as he adds that the local government is looking for other recipients to accommodate the volume of biowastes being generated at the markets every day.

Efforts to reduce and eliminate single-use plastics are also in progress while the city is in talks to private companies such as Blastik Project and Rivson Goldplast Manufacturing Corporation (RGMC), on how they can help in the plastic recycling

program.

DPS officials is also planning to visit Subay Marketing in E.B. Magalona, Negros Occidental which was introduced by EMB Region 6 that are accepting all types of

plastics including styrofoam.

Meanwhile, Barangay 31 had recently launched their own version of Trash to Cash Program where plastic wastes will be bartered into kitchen items and school supplies.

This initiative came after their Barangay Solid Waste Management Team made an educational tour at Blastik Recycling Program of PeacePond Farmers Association in

Binalbagan last month.*jell.lanes
(Source: Bacolod City Public Information Office)