MAA Integrated Waste Solutions, a company aiming to address Iligan City’s worsening garbage problem, conducted a test run of its waste-processing equipment last Friday, September 12.
Aldwin Cabornay, head of the city’s Public Services Division, told reporters Monday the test took place from 10 am to 5 pm in Sitio Bangko in the village of Bonbonon.
Large sacks of garbage were fed into funnel-like machines that churned the waste, reducing it in size. The smaller material was then fed into another machine for further pulverization.
According to Cabornay, the company’s technology does not process metal or diapers. Waste must be segregated at the village level before it can be fed into the machines.
MAA Integrated Waste Solutions will reportedly rent the space from the city for P60,000 per month. The pulverized waste will be sold to cement factories like Holcim and Republic.
Cabornay noted that Iligan City alone would not produce enough garbage to meet the company’s needs.
The machines require more than 20 tons of garbage daily and could handle up to 50 tons, so the company is encouraging other nearby areas to arrange for their waste to be included in the solution.
This technology has been used in several locations in Luzon and would be the first of its kind in Mindanao. Davao City is reportedly considering a similar initiative.
Formal contracts are expected to be signed after the company complies with environmental regulations from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
Cabornay said this solution is the best option for the city, as government regulations no longer permit garbage to be disposed of in a dump site.
