story 1: a different market (print)

MANILA, 9 December – It was a different kind of market yesterday at the Goldcrest parking lot in Ayala Center, Makati.

Instead of food, clothing, or Christmas gift items, the items sold at yesterday’s Waste Market were recyclable waste. Used paper and paper products, electronics such as computers and computer parts, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic bottles, aluminum cans, used toner and ink cartridges, and polystyrene packaging waste were brought and exchanged for cash.

Paper products were exchanged for Php 3.50 to 8.50 per kilo. Defective computer parts went for Php 15 to 80 per piece, and CDs for Php 5 per kilo. Even cables were exchanged, at Php 25 to 30 per kilo.

The Philippine Business for the Environment (PBE), organizers of the Waste Market, had to extend market hours to accommodate more people.

Mila Antofina, senior project officer of the PBE, said that the market collected more waste materials than expected.

“Maganda ‘yung naging response ng public (the public’s response was good),” she said in a telephone interview. “Some even called to say sayang (too bad), they did not know about it.”

Unofficial results of the Waste Market showed that paper waste topped the list of recyclables collected in terms of volume. But by economic value, paper came second to electronics, which was estimated at Php 40,000.

The waste materials are evaluated by volume, economic savings, landfill space saved, and for paper waste, the number of trees saved.

pilot phase
The Waste Market, which was open to the general public, had its pilot run in September. It was then held every first Friday until December. Its initial areas were the cities of Makati and Muntinlupa.

Antofina says the PBE will first assess the project’s viability then decide whether to continue the Waste Market in 2007. But she is optimistic. “May trend na pataas (there was an upward trend),” she says.

If continued, Antofina says, the PBE could take the Waste Market to other areas.

recyclables collection events
The Waste Market was a small-scale version of PBE’s Recyclables Collection Event (RCE), which targets industries, big businesses, and establishments such as malls and condominiums.

The Waste Market is hoped to replicate the success of the annual RCEs.

Since 2002, the RCEs have been held to coincide with Earth Day in April. Venues have been Makati City, Quezon City, Muntinlupa, Calamba City, Baguio City, and Davao City.