LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – The provincial government of Pangasinan has collected some 64,464 kilograms of plastic wastes as of Wednesday, which was replaced with goods through its “Kalinisan Karaban” project.
In an interview on Thursday, General Services Office chief Evan Gladish Domalanta said amid the pandemic, they continued the program and collected plastic wastes from residents of the different towns and cities of the province and in turn, gave out over PHP1.2 million worth of groceries.
She said the top three municipalities that contributed plastic wastes are Bautista with 16,235 kilograms (kg), Balungao with 10,497 kg, and Bugallon with 4,510 kg.
Domalanta said there were 3,637 bricks produced from the plastic wastes collected since the program started in 2019.
Pangasinenses exchanged their plastic wastes for different goods, including cellphone load, school supplies, and groceries through the program but this year, they focused on giving out groceries.
The Kalinisan Karaban was initiated by Governor Amado Espino III aimed at clearing the streets of Pangasinan of plastic wastes and encouraging the love for the environment through segregation, especially among the children.
Domalanta said the Kalinisan Karaban store truck, which started going around the province last year, operates in a designated place where residents can bring their segregated wastes, such as plastic containers, shampoo sachets, sando bags, and candy wrappers, which will be weighed and exchanged with goods.
“Every kilo of plastic wastes is equivalent to PHP15, which they could use to buy goods from our store truck,” she said.
The plastic wastes, she added, should be separated from wrappers and sando bags.
Domalanta said the project was institutionalized through Provincial Ordinance 32-2019 by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) on March 4 last year.
“It is the aim of the province to institutionalize public participation in the implementation of the Kalinisan Karaban program through the promotion of individual responsibility towards reusing, reducing, and recycling of household plastic wastes,” Provincial Ordinance 32-2019 stated.
Upon its institutionalization, funding worth PHP1.5 million was provided for the project. (PNA)
