City environment officer Edgar Paalan said the volume of garbage collected daily at the public market weighed about six tons, almost 30 percent of the total volume of garbage generated by the city.
But not a percentage of this garbage has been converted or recycled from the dump sites, he said.
He said the first step is to segregate waste into biodegradable, recyclable, and residual categories.
A biodegradable waste is a type of waste originating from plant or animal sources, which may be broken down by other living organisms. It can also be composted or used to produce biogas.
A recyclable waste is a type of waste that has the potential to be recycled, including scrap iron, non-ferrous metals, bottles, glass, plastics, and paper.
The dry run, which ends on November 26, includes a cleanup drive within the market and Poblacion area, distribution of information materials, posting of solid waste management signages, and actual waste segregation.
The full implementation of the program starts on Nov 27.
Paalan said that with a reinforced solid waste management plan they hope to convert at least 40 percent of the city’s biodegradable waste into other types.
The city is also set to construct a P5-million wastewater treatment facility for the wet market.
Paalan said that the market, including the slaughter house, releases at least 35 cubic meters of wastewater everyday. This is discharged into the Nuangan River, one of the longest rivers in the city.
The facility, he said, is capable of converting at least 70 cubic meters of wastewater daily.
The city council has granted Mayor Rodolfo Gantuangco an authority to enter into a loan agreement with the Development of the Philippines (DBP) for the project.
Kidapawan is only one of the many local government units receiving assistance in urban environmental management through the EcoGov Part 2 project.
The project, which is an initiative of the Philippine government, is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented in partnership with the Department of Interior and Local Governments (DILG) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. It is managed by the Development Alternatives Inc., (DAI).
DAI is providing technical assistance to the city governments of General Santos, Koronadal, and Davao and of the provinces of South Cotabato, Sarangani, North Cotabato, and Sultan Kudarat in implementing forest and forestlands management, coastal resource management, and urban environmental management. (MindaNews)