The Department of the Interior and Local Government is urging local government units to exceed the minimum waste diversion targets in their 10-Year Solid Waste Management Plans to reduce landfill use, cut tipping fees, and strengthen local climate and disaster resilience.

Effective waste diversion reduces reliance on landfills. There are currently 1,053 operational sanitary landfills nationwide with a combined capacity of 63.4 million cubic meters. These facilities receive around 19,700 tons of waste daily. Of this number, 680 landfills serve multiple LGUs. Regions with the most operational landfills include Cagayan Valley, Ilocos, Calabarzon, Northern Mindanao, and Davao.

Under Republic Act No. 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, LGUs are mandated to divert at least 25 percent of solid waste from disposal facilities within five years of the law’s effectivity, with incremental increases every three years. Waste diversion includes composting, recycling, reuse, and other resource recovery activities.

To date, 1,592 LGUs consisting of 77 provinces, 146 cities, and 1,369 municipalities have approved 10-Year SWM Plans. The regions with the highest number of compliant LGUs are Eastern Visayas, Calabarzon, Western Visayas, Central Luzon, and Central Visayas.

The law also requires every barangay or cluster to establish a Materials Recovery Facility. These MRFs play a critical role in local implementation and must maintain proper waste diversion records to guide planning and program monitoring.

Based on the 2023 LGU Compliance Assessment, 120 of the 187 LGUs in the Manila Bay Watershed area now operate both central and barangay-level MRFs with updated diversion records. These include seven in the National Capital Region, 49 in Central Luzon, and 64 in Calabarzon. Among the best practices recorded are Cabanatuan City’s rapid composter that serves 45 urban barangays and Lipa City’s facility that converts shredded plastic into eco-bricks alongside its composting operation.

The DILG calls on LGUs to go beyond compliance. Surpassing waste diversion targets not only reduces environmental impact and prolongs the life of landfills but also leads to lower costs, cleaner communities, and healthier, more resilient localities.

Original Article At: https://dilg.gov.ph/news/DILG-urges-LGUs-to-exceed-solid-waste-diversion-targets-in-local-SWM-plans/NC-2025-1136