Nine local government units (LGU) in the province of Pampanga— Lubao, Sasmuan, San Fernando, Mexico, Guagua, Floridablanca, Macabebe, Mabalacat and Porac—have successfully reduced their residual plastics going into landfills.
They have diverted these to a more sustainable and environment-friendly recovery and disposal process via cement kiln co-processing, in partnership with Republic Cement’s resource recovery group, Ecoloop.
Through Ecoloop’s Cement-for-Trash program, these LGUs received cement, which they can use for environment or social development projects, in exchange for qualified residual plastic wastes.
These include waste that cannot be recycled or reused, which are usually plastic packaging such as sachets, plastic cutlery, grocery bags, food packaging, and straws, among others.
“Republic’s Cement-For-Trash program not only helps save the environment but also helps LGUs save on landfilling and transport cost, as well as provides employment to support the Materials Recovery Facility operations,” said Lubao Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO) Engineer Dan Aquino.
Ecoloop’s LGU partners diverted the equivalent of 100 dump trucks or 120 million sachets from landfills in the second half of last year.
Republic Cement is backed by the global expertise of CRH, a leading building materials company headquartered in Ireland, and diversified Filipino business conglomerate Aboitiz, recognized as one of the best-managed companies in Asia.
LGUs interested to participate in ecoloop’s Cement-for-Trash Program may contact [email protected].