The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) reported a notable increase in compliance with the country’s solid waste management laws, with 328 local government units (LGUs) securing approved 10-year Solid Waste Management Plans (SWMPs) from July 2022 to June 2025. An additional 41 LGUs also renewed their plans within the same period.
DENR Secretary Raphael Lotilla said that these SWMPs are critical to advancing the National Solid Waste Management Framework, serving as roadmaps for LGUs to improve waste segregation, collection, recycling, and disposal. “These plans serve as the foundation for maximizing resource recovery and reducing dependence on landfill disposal,” Lotilla said in a statement.
The development brings total LGU compliance to 89 percent or 1,416 out of 1,592 cities and municipalities nationwide—an important step in achieving targets under the Philippine Development Plan for environmental protection and sustainable development.
SWMPs require LGUs to project waste generation, outline waste diversion and segregation strategies, ensure compliance with materials recovery facility (MRF) and sanitary landfill (SLF) requirements, and allocate necessary budgets over a 10-year period.
Complementing this rise in planning compliance, the number of operational MRFs increased from 11,779 in 2022 to 12,864 in 2025, now servicing nearly half of all barangays (49.3 percent). Similarly, the number of SLFs grew from 287 to 343, now serving 748 LGUs or 49 percent of cities and municipalities.
The DENR noted that effective implementation also requires public awareness campaigns and partnerships to enhance recycling and waste processing efforts—further strengthening local capacity to reduce pollution, including marine litter.
