THE volume of plastic waste in the city has reduced significantly by as much as 30 percent, according to the General Services Office.

GSO Head Eugene Buyucan, in his report during the flag-raising ceremonies last Monday, January 7, said the estimate was based on the observations of personnel monitoring the garbage flow at the waste transfer station at the Dairy Farm.

The office attributed the reduction to the implementation of the Plastic and Styro-Free Ordinance in the second half of 2018.

However, Buyucan said the decrease in plastic waste did not have an effect on the total volume of waste produced in the city which remained at 168 tons a day.

Buyucan explained that this was due to the increased use of other kinds of residual refuse like paper materials which were used as replacement for the plastic kind.

“Nonetheless, this is a welcome development in terms of our aim to reduce our dependence on plastic materials for environmental reasons,” Buyucan said.

In his office accomplishment report for 2018, the GSO head said their office realized savings from hauling and tipping fees of garbage amounting to P18 million after successfully negotiating for lower costs with the waste disposal facility in Urdaneta, Pangasinan.

The city also established a temporary transfer station after Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Pinol allowed the City to utilize five hectares of the 92-hectare property of the Dept. of Agriculture at the Dairy Farm which is now being improved and later planned to be ceded to the city government.

The office also sold 13,000 kilos or 485 sacks of raw compost from the Environmental Recycling System machines realizing an income of P39,000.

“We have acquired five brand new dump trucks and one water truck to augment the garbage collection fleet of the city,” Buyucan added.