Google map of Zamboang City.
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- The local government is paving the way for the conversion of the former 4.6- hectare dumpsite into an ecological park (eco-park), an official said Thursday.
Gerry Pollisco, Office of the City Environment and Natural Resources (OCENR) division chief, said the conversion of the former dumpsite in Barangay Lumbangan will house the waste recycling facilities that will reduce plastic waste and prolong the life span of the sanitary landfill (SLF).
Pollisco said post-closure activities are now being undertaken by the City Engineer’s Office (CEO) at the dumpsite, which ceased operation in 2015.
Pollisco said the area will be converted into an eco-park that will also feature a solar farm using light material structures.
He said the park is also considered for landfill mining activities where disposed wastes will be fed to waste-to-energy (WTE) facility.
He said the landfill mining activities will not be limited to the city government but open to private entities that intend to invest in WTE projects.
The planned eco-park will be implemented as soon as post-closure activities, now between 85 to 90 percent, are complete, he added.
As post-closure activities are undergoing, Pollisco said the city-operated Material Recovery Facility (MRF) remains in operation, as residual wastes are transferred or brought to the SLF in Barangay Salaan.
Based on OCENR’s waste characterization survey, plastics compose 39 percent of the total wastes disposed at the SLF while 61 percent are biodegradable wastes, Pollisco said. (PNA)
