Senate implements recycling program

Senate President Manny Villar wants recycling to be vigorously and dutifully implemented in the Senate as part of the institution's adherence to environmental protection.

Upon the Senate President's direction, Senate Secretary Emma Lirio-Reyes issued an order specifying a recycling program for the adoption of the Senate and its workforce.

The Senate office order signed by Reyes provides, "All offices in the Senate should segregate their wastes into 'biodegradable' and 'non-biodegradable' wastes. Contamination of 'recyclables' with other materials should be prevented to facilitate easier reprocessing and recycling."

It further provides, "The re-use and recycling of non-confidential papers from copier machines for purposes of preparing drafts for memo, reports and other similar documents shall be required to promote resource conservation."

"Used high-grade white office papers which can be made into almost any new paper products like stationery, books and magazines may be sold to recycling or junk shops if no use for them is intended," the directive said.

"The recycling of printer ink cartridges should be promoted by sorting them into brands and re-selling them back to the distributor-companies which shall refill them with ink and re-sell them to consumers. Toner cartridges can be recycled in the same way as ink cartridges."

"Other ingenious means of recycling and resource conservation are likewise encouraged," the order stated.

It shall be the General Services which shall be responsible for the proper and systematic collection, segregation and disposal of solid wastes from the Senate offices.

Villar said Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 mandates resource conservation and recovery, solid waste avoidance and volume reduction (through composting, recycling, re-use, recovery, green charcoal process before collection, treatment and disposal in environmentally sound solid waste management facilities), and the proper segregation, collection, transport, storage, treatment and disposal of solid waste in the country.

The Senate President, who is an active environmentalist said, "We must do our share in the crucial task of protecting our environment and conserving our resources in every possible way we can."

"Civil servants should exercise readiness and lead in the collective responsibility of caring for our environment, setting an example to the citizenry," Villar, who is also president of the Nacionalista Party, stressed.

Earlier, Villar filed Senate Bill No. 91 entitled, "An Act requiring the recycling and utilization of recycled materials by educational institutions," which seeks to require all schools to use paper and other materials containing at least 15-percent recycled material in all their projects and activities.