The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is optimistic the remaining local government units (LGUs) still without approved solid waste management plans should have their blueprints greenlighted within the year.
The DENR’s National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC) reported that of the 1,592 LGUs that submitted their respective 10-year plans as mandated, only a total of 1,147 have their plans approved thus far.
In a statement, the Environmental Management Bureau called on the remaining 445 LGUs with no approved or submitted SWMPs to take proactive action to develop their plans and have the NSWMC approve them .
The EMB urged local government executives with no approved SWMPs in place to expedite their submission.
Under the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, every LGU is mandated to have a 10-year SWMP that puts “primary emphasis on implementation of all feasible reuse, recycling and composting programs while identifying the amount of landfill and transformation capacity that will be needed for solid waste which cannot be reused, recycled or composted.”
In each SWMP, concerned EMB regional offices will review and evaluate the plans submitted and endorse them to the EMB Central Office for further assessment.
If the plan lacks particular requirements, the SWMPs are returned to the LGU for further action and consideration prior to their elevation to the executive committee of the NSWMC which will determine final approval.
