REPUBLIC ACT NO.

9003

Overview of Ecological Solid

Waste Management Act of 2000

WHAT IS ECOLOGICAL
SOLID WASTE
MANAGEMENT?
The systematic administration of activities which provide
for:
Segregation at source;
Segregated transportation, storage, transfer, processing,
treatment, and disposal of solid waste; and
All other waste management activities which do not harm
the environment.

Embraced in the term

Solid Waste
discarded household and

commercial waste
non-hazardous institutional and
industrial waste
street sweepings
construction debris
agricultural waste

Classification of Waste as
defined by RA 9003

Compostables

Special Wastes

Recyclables

Non-recyclables/residuals

Solid waste is
now considered
one of the most
critical
problems of the
Philippines

The Ecological Solid Waste

Management Act
RA 9003
An Act providing for an ecological solid

waste management program, creating the

necessary
institutional
mechanisms,
declaring certain prohibited acts.
Was passed by the Congress and
Senate on December 2000 and signed by
the President on January 26, 2001.

Waste Management Concepts

The 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) to be followed for
waste management.

Definition of Terms

Agricultural waste shall refer to waste generated

from planting or harvesting of crops, trimming or

pruning of plants and wastes or run-off materials
from farms or fields;
Bulky wastes shall refer to waste materials which
cannot be appropriately placed in separate
containers because of either its bulky size, shape or
other physical attributes. These include large wornout or broken household, commercial, and industrial
items such as furniture, lamps, bookcases, filing
cabinets, and other similar items;
Bureau shall refer to the Environmental
Management Bureau;
Buy-back center shall refer to a recycling center that
purchases of otherwise accepts recyclable materials
from the public for the purpose of recycling such
materials;

 Collection shall refer to the act of

removing solid waste from the source or
from a communal storage point;
Composting shall refer to the controlled
decomposition of organic matter by
micro-organisms, mainly bacteria and
fungi, into a humus-like product;
Consumer electronics shall refer to
special waste that includes worn-out,
broken, and other discarded items such
as radios, stereos, and TV sets;
Controlled dump shall refer to a disposal
site at which solid waste is deposited in
accordance with the minimum prescribed
standards of site operation;
Department shall refer to the Department

 Disposal site shall refer to a site where

solid waste is finally discharged and
deposited;
Ecological solid waste management shall
refer to the systematic administration of
activities which provide for segregation at
source, segregated transportation,
storage, transfer, processing, treatment,
and disposal of solid waste and all other
waste management activities which do not
harm the environment;
Environmentally acceptable shall refer to
the quality of being re-usable,
biodegradable or compostable, recyclable
and not toxic or hazardous to the
environment;

 Hazardous waste shall refer to solid waste

management or combination of solid waste
which because of its quantity, concentration or
physical, chemical or infectious characteristics
may:
cause, or significantly contribute to an
increase in mortality or an increase in serious
irreversible, or incapacitating reversible,
illness; or
pose a substantial present or potential hazard
to human health or the environment when
improperly treated, stored, transported, or
disposed of, or otherwise managed;
Leachate shall refer to the liquid produced
when waste undergo decomposition, and when
water percolate through solid waste
undergoing decomposition. It is contaminated

 Municipal waste shall refer to wastes

produced from activities within local
government units which include a
combination of domestic, commercial,
institutional and industrial wastes and street
litters;
Open dump shall refer to a disposal area
wherein the solid wastes are indiscriminately
thrown or disposed of without due planning
and consideration for environmental and
Health standards;
Opportunity to recycle shall refer to the act of
providing a place for collecting sourceseparated recyclable material, located either
at a disposal site or at another location more
convenient to the population being served,
and collection at least once a month of

 Post-consumer material shall refer only to

those materials or products generated by
a business or consumer which have
served their intended end use, and which
have been separated or diverted from
solid waste for the purpose of being
collected, processed and used as a raw
material in the manufacturing of recycled
product, excluding materials and byproducts generated from, and byproducts generated from, and commonly
Recovered
shall
refer to
used withinmaterial
an original
manufacturing
material
that have
process, and
suchby
asproducts
mill scrap;
recovered
orrefer
diverted
from solid
been
Receptacles
shall
to individual
waste
for the
purpose
being separation
containers
used
for theofsource

 Recyclable material shall refer to any

waste material retrieved from the waste
stream and free from contamination that
can still be converted into suitable
beneficial use or for other purposes,
including, but not limited to, newspaper,
ferrous scrap metal, non-ferrous scrap
metal, used oil, corrugated cardboard,
aluminum, glass, office paper, tin cans
and other materials as may be
Resource
conversation
shall refer to the
determined
by the Commission;
reduction
of the amount
of solid
waste
Recycled material
shall refer
to postthat
are generated
or the
reduction
of
consumer
material that
has
been
overall
resource
consumption,
and
recycled
and returned
to the economy;
utilization of recovered resources;

 Recycling shall refer to the treating of

used or waste materials through a
process of making them suitable for
beneficial use and for other purposes,
and includes any process by which solid
waste materials are transformed into new
products in such a manner that the
original product may lose their identity,
and which maybe used as raw materials
for the production of other goods or
Resources
services: Provided,
collection,
recoveryThat
shallthe
refer
to the
segregation
and re-use
previously
collection,
extraction
orof
recovery
of
used packaging
material
be deemed
recyclable
materials
fromshall
the waste
recycling
this Act;of recycling,
stream
forunder
the purpose
generating energy or producing a

 Re-use shall refer to the process of

recovering materials intended for the
same or different purpose without the
alteration of physical and chemical
characteristics;
Sanitary landfill shall refer to a waste
disposal site designed, constructed,
operated and maintained in a manner
exerts
over
that
Schedule
ofengineering
Compliance control
shall refer
to an
significant
environment
enforceablepotential
sequence
of actions or
impacts
arising
the development
operations
to befrom
accomplished
within a
and
operation
the facility;
stipulated
timeofframe
leading to
compliance with a limitation, prohibition
or standard set forth in this Act or any
rule of regulation issued pursuant

 Segregation shall refer to a solid waste

management practice of separating
different materials found in solid waste
in order to promote recycling and re-use
of resources and to reduce the volume of
Segregation
at source
shall
refer to a
waste for collection
and
disposal;
solid waste management practice of
separating, at the point of origin,
different materials found in solid waste
in order to promote recycling and re-use
of resources and to reduce the volume of
waste for collection and disposal;
Solid waste shall refer to all discarded
household, commercial waste, nonhazardous institutional and industrial

 Solid waste management shall refer to the

discipline associated with the control of
generation, storage, collection, transfer
and transport, processing, and disposal of
solid wastes in a manner that is in accord
with the best principles of public health,
economics, engineering, conservation,
aesthetics, and other environmental
considerations, and that is also responsive
to public attitudes;
Solid waste management facility shall refer
to any resource recovery system or
component thereof; any system, program,
or facility for resource conservation; any
facility for the collection, source
separation, storage, transportation,
transfer, processing, treatment, or disposal

 Source separation shall refer to the sorting

of solid waste into some or all of its
component parts at the point of generation;
Special wastes shall refer to household
hazardous wastes such as paints, thinners,
household batteries, lead-acid batteries,
spray canisters and the like. These include
wastes from residential and commercial
sources that comprise of bulky wastes,
consumer electronics, white goods, yard
wastes that are collected separately,
batteries, oil, and tires. These wastes are
usually handled separately from other
residential and commercial wastes;
Storage shall refer to the interim
containment of solid wastes after
generation and prior to collection for

 Waste diversion shall refer to activities

which reduce or eliminate the amount of
solid waste from waste disposal facilities;
White goods shall refer to large worn-out
or broken household, commercial, and
industrial appliances such as stoves,
refrigerators, dishwashers, and clothes
washers and dryers collected separately.
White goods ate usually dismantled for
the recovery of specific materials (e.g.,
copper, aluminium, etc.);
Yard waste shall refer to wood, small or
chipped branches, leaves, grass clippings,
garden debris, vegetable residue that is
recognized as part of a plant or vegetable
and other materials identified by the

Waste Generation
Those activities in which materials are identified as no
longer being of value and are either thrown away or
gathered together for disposal.
Generation Rate of Municipal Solid Waste
Solid waste generation rates estimate the amount of waste
created by residences or businesses over a certain amount of
time (day, year, etc.).
Waste generation includes all materials discarded, whether or
not they are later recycled or disposed in a landfill.
Waste generation rates for residential and commercial
activities can be used to estimate the impact of new
developments on the local waste stream.
They may be useful in providing a general level of information
for planning purposes.

Factors affecting MSW Generation Rates

1. Effect of source reduction , Reuse and Recycling
Activities on Waste Generation
Source Reduction: Waste reduction may occur through the
design, manufacture, and packaging of products with
minimum toxic content, minimum volume of material, and
longer useful life.
- Reduce office paper waste by implementing a formal
policy to duplex all draft reports and by making training
manuals
and
personnel
information
available
electronically.
- Improve product design to use less materials.
-Redesign packaging to eliminate excess material while
maintaining strength.
-Work with customers to design and implement a
packaging return program.
- Switch to reusable transport containers.

Waste management aims

to:
Minimize the amount of
waste generated (source
reduction)
Recover waste materials
and recycle them
Dispose of waste safely
and effectively

Source reduction is
preferred approach

the

Reuse..
Cleaning and using the
material over and over
again
Increasing the lifespan of
the product.
Recycling
is collecting materials
that can be broken down
and reprocessed to
manufacture new items.

2. Effect of public Attitudes and legislation on waste

generation
Public Attitudes - significant reduction in the quantities of
solid wastes generated occur when and if people are willing
to change of their own volition- their habits and lifestyles to
conserve natural resources and to reduce the economic
burdens associated with the management of solid wastes.
A program of continuing education is essential in bringing
about a change in public attitudes.
Legislation Perhaps the most important factor affecting the
generation of certain type of wastes is the existence of local,
state, and federal regulations concerning the use of specific
materials.
Encouraging the purchase and use of recycled materials by
allowing a price differential (typically 5 to 10 percent) for
recycled materials is another method.

3. Effect of Geographic and physical factors on

waste Generation
Geographic and physical factors that affect the
quantities of waste generated and collected include:
a. geographical location related primarily to the
different climate that can influence both the amount
generated and collection operation.
b. season of the year
c. frequency of collection
d. characteristics of population
e. extent of salvage and recycling.
f. legislation
g. public attitude

Waste Segregation

Waste segregation means dividing waste

into dry and wet. Dry waste includes wood
and related products, metals and glass.
Wet waste, typically refers to organic
waste usually generated by eating
establishments and are heavy in weight
due to dampness. Waste can also be
segregated on basis of biodegradable or
non-biodegradable waste.

Waste can be segregated into the following streams:

1. Biodegradable Wastes:
Biodegradable waste includes organic waste, e.g. kitchen waste,
vegetables, fruits, flowers, leaves from the garden, and paper.
2. Non-biodegradable Wastes:
Non-biodegradable waste can be further segregated into:
(a) Recyclable waste plastics, paper, glass, metal, etc.
(b) Toxic waste old medicines, paints, chemicals, bulbs, spray cans,
fertilizer and pesticide containers, batteries, shoe polish.
(c) Soiled hospital waste such as cloth soiled with blood and other
body fluids. Toxic and soiled waste must be disposed of with utmost
care.
Certain items are not biodegradable but can be reused or recycled.
In fact, it is believed that a larger portion can be recycled, a part of it
can be converted to compost, and only a smaller portion of it is real
waste that has no use and has to be discarded. According to the
Municipal

1.) First bin is recyclable wastes

A majority of waste that we think is
useless can be recycled
Categories of waste
Separate wastes to dry waste and
wet waste
Recyclable wastes
Food waste
Paper
etc

2.) The second bin will be for non

recyclables items i.e. things that
cannot be recycled.

3.) Third bin is food

waste
Composte
Feed it to the animals

Waste Volume Reduction

Refers to the reduction of solid waste before it enters the
solid waste stream by methods such as product design,
materials substitution, materials re-use and packaging
restrictions.

Recycling
Compaction
Incineration
Composting

Recycling
Recycling refers to the
collection and refuse of waste
materials such as empty
beverage container.
The materials from which the
items are made can be
processed into new products.
Materials for recycling may be
collected separately from
general waste using dedicated
bins.

Compaction

Compaction of waste materials after source

separation is useful for two reasons. Compaction
prepares waste for efficient transport by truck, boat or
rail car to landfills or other waste disposal facilities.
Compacted waste
takes up less
space in a landfill,
thereby extending
the life of the
landfill. In some
cases, compacted
waste can be
stored for later
disposal.

Incineration

it is a disposal
method in which solid
organic wastes are
subjected to
combustion so as to
convert them into
residue and gaseous
products.
This process reduces
the volumes of solid
waste to 20-30% of
the original volume.
Also described as
thermal treatment

Composting
Method of combined disposal of refuse and night
soil/ sludge
Principal by products are: CO2 , Water and heat
End product- compost

Requirements for Segregation &

Volume Reduction
Volume reduction at the source shall be the first priority of
the ecological SWM system. All LGUs shall actively
promote among its constituencies the reduction and
minimization of wastes generated at source; responsibility
for sorting and segregation of biodegradable and nonbiodegradable wastes shall be at the household level and
all other sources.
Separate containers for compostables, recyclables,

special wastes and residuals

Separate collection schedules / separate trucks or
haulers / compartmentalized collection vehicles
Material Recovery Facilities for recyclables &
biodegradables
Inventory of markets for composts and recyclables

IRRSECTION 59: IMPLEMENTING RULES AND

REGULATIONS
The Department, in coordination with the
Committees on Environment and Ecology of the Senate
and House of Representatives of the Leagues of
Provinces, Cities, Municipalities and Barangay Councils,
the MMDA and other concerned agencies shall
promulgate the implementing rules and regulations of
this Act, within (1) year after its enactment: Provided,
that rules and regulations issued by other government
agencies and instrumentalities for the prevention and/or
abatement of the solid waste management problem not
inconsistent with this Act shall supplement the rues and
regulations issued by the Department, pursuant to the
provisions of this Act.

The draft of this IRR shall be published

and be the subject of public consultation
with affected sectors. It shall be submitted
to the Committee on Environment
Ecology of the Senate and House of
Representatives, respectively, for review
before approved by the Secretary.

THANK YOU!
Reported by:
Asuncion, Antonio Miguel
Cabrera, Angelica
Calma, Justin