RECYCLED BUILDING BLOCKS. A materials recovery facility in Arteche, Eastern Samar built out of plastic bricks. Arteche, Eastern Samar has produced more than 21,000 eco-bricks out of plastics collected through their recycling program implemented in the past two years. (PNA photo by Roel Amazona)
TACLOBAN CITY -- The local government unit of Arteche, Eastern Samar has produced more than 21,000 eco-bricks out of plastics collected through their recycling program implemented in the past two years.
Mayor Roland Boie Evardone said in a phone interview Wednesday that collecting plastics has become a culture of every student in their town.
“I’m happy that teachers and parents are supportive of this program as they require children to collect plastics and convert it into eco-bricks,” he added.
An eco-brick is a plastic bottle packed with plastic waste to a set density. It creates reusable building blocks to make modular furniture, garden spaces and full-scale buildings such as schools and houses.
The total number of eco-bricks is equivalent to more than 5,000 kilograms of plastics collected and recycled into another product beneficial to the town’s residents.
The program, launched in 2018, is the local government counterpart in the campaign for a clean and healthy environment. The initiative allowed children to participate through exchanging trash collected inside a plastic bottle with school supplies.
“The program designed to give school supplies to children has been going on for several years already. But when I entered into office, I wanted to implement a program that is not doled out,” Evardone recalled.
“So I said that we should give the school supplies to children, but they must collect plastics waste in exchange of rewards,” Evardone added.
Children who bring eco-bricks in the redemption area have choices to exchange the trash with school supplies for 10 eco-bricks, school bags for 15 eco-bricks. For those with 20 eco-bricks, they have an option to receive an umbrella or raincoat.
For eco-bricks collected on the campus, school supplies are given to teachers and distributed to students who do not have the means to buy classroom needs.
Collected eco-bricks are distributed by the local government to villages to make Material Recovery Facilities (MRF), welcome signage in villages, and construction of dog pound facility.
Construction of the dog pound is almost complete and will operate soon to ensure zero rabies cases in their locality.
Evardone clarified that his administration has no intention to earn recognition from environmental advocates. “The ultimate goal is to give social services to the people by innovating despite budget constraints,” he said.
The mayor told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) that other local governments are welcome to visit their town to learn and replicate the initiative.
Arteche, which is 205 kilometers northeast of Tacloban City, is a third-class town in Eastern Samar with a population of over 16,000. (PNA)
