The First Hazardous Waste Facility in the Philippines

By Lourdes Ledesma

In 1990, President Corazon C. Aquino signed Republic Act No. 6969, also known as the Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control Act of 1990. This Act covers the importation, manufacture, processing, handling, storage, transportation, sale, distribution, use and disposal of all unregulated chemical substances and mixtures in the Philippines, including the entry even in transit. 

Even with the regulations in place, hazardous wastes (batteries, electronic junk, chemicals, paints, pesticides, etc.) are not adequately treated and are either illegally thrown in waterways or open dumps. According to a study by USAid on e-waste recycling and disposal in Asian countries, in the Philippines, almost one-half of the 400 rivers in the country are characterized as biologically dead due to contamination from industrial and residential run-off and inadequate sewerage and drainage infrastructure. In addition, the lack of a central hazardous waste treatment facility is a major obstacle to properly disposing of toxic and hazardous waste. 

The electronics industry in the Philippines plays a major role in the economic development of the country. It has consistently contributed the highest export revenues since 1981. It has also promoted the rapid computerization of practically all the corporate offices in Metro Manila as well as most government agencies. Because of the nature of the growing information technology, rapid obsolescence of hardware has also contributed to the build-up of e-junk in the country. Most of this e-waste end up in open dumps and waterways, where they contribute to the pollution of the environment. TV sets, mobile phones and computers contain a lot of lead and other toxic metals, and when dumped anywhere, pollute the environment enough to affect the health of humans adversely. 

For decades, developing countries in Asia and Africa have been used as a dumping ground for the toxic wastes from industrialized countries in Europe and North America. In an earlier article, I related the story of a particular town in China, called Guiyu, where the U.S., Canada, Germany and other developed nations send their e-waste to be recycled and processed by the most primitive methods by Chinese families for a daily pittance. Needless to say, the town inhabitants suffer from diseases arising from undrinkable water, unbreathable air, and toxic metals poisoning. A study of hazardous waste trade traffic showed that the Philippines, India, and Thailand have been destinations of toxic wastes dumping from industrialized countries. In December, 1999, Philippine authorities seized 122 forty-foot containers carrying infectious medical wastes from Japan. The cargo was disguised as used plastic scrap for recycling. Following a public outcry, the containers were shipped back to Japan. Subsequent investigations in Japan showed that this was a customary practice, only not known to the public. Australia before 1997 was the top exporter of scrap lead batteries to the Philippines. Lead wastes from Australia, the Netherlands and the U.S. have regularly entered Asia from the Philippines, Thailand and India. In the Philippines, a leading importer and recycler, Philippine Recyclers Inc. (PRI), was found to have serious lead contamination in the soil, vegetation, and river sediments around its factory area. It had been caught illegally dumping the toxic wastes from its factory in several open dumpsites near agricultural fields. Lead contamination was found in tests conducted by Greenpeace and health experts in the blood of children living near PRI. 

Now, because of one man’s determination to address this greatest danger to our environment, the expansion of the only privately-owned integrated hazardous waste treatment facility in the Philippines was launched last April 20th, 2009 in Silang, Cavite. In a 1.4 ha. lot, Herminio Esguerra, CEO of Cleanway Technology Corporation (CTC) and the Herma Group of Companies, started, against great opposition from the local and business community, to build a secure landfill in September of 2004. He wanted to prove that saving the environment and making a profit are both viable and sustainable. Four years after Cleanway’s integrated waste-treatment facility started its business operations, it has become the Philippines’ leading integrated environmental management company that uses the most advanced technology for waste treatment and disposal. This year’s launching of a state-of-the-art expanded and integrated facility for treatment of different kinds of hazardous waste, also marked the closure of its first secure landfill and the groundbreaking of a second larger-capacity secure landfill. The company currently addresses the waste-management problems of more than 100 big companies including car manufacturers and dealers, hospitals and various industries. 

Employing the latest technology and processes, Esguerra’s hazardous toxic waste facilities are in compliance with local and international environmental laws. They handle industrial, chemical, and medical wastes, treat it until no longer toxic to humans and the environment, then dump it into the secure landfill. The “secure” landfill is the highest type of landfill which complies with R.A. 9003. It is a cavity in the earth, double-lined with geomembrane and geotextiles, a material composed of reinforced fiber and wires designed to last for years. While not yet sealed, the secure landfill is designed with a drainage system for leachates that are channeled to a treatment chamber until it is stabilized and can be returned to the environment safely. At the end of this process is a fishpond where live marine animals swim freely. 

What Esguerra has done for his community has been to raise awareness that an efficient disposal system of toxic wastes can be achieved, to create a cleaner world, while generating employment and boosting the local economy. The community has fully embraced the CTC facility, and Esguerra has given back to his community scholarships to deserving students, adopting schools and sponsoring other ourtreach programs such as medical missions. Already there are plans to expand these facilities to other sites, such as Cebu. As Esguerra comments, “Do business with the environment `correctly’ and for sure, profit will be the by-product. We owe it to the next generation. This is our legacy. This is not only for Cleanway and the Herma Group, but this is for all.” 

What Esguerra has shown us is that if we care enough, a vision can become a reality. Do we care enough?* 

Green Choice Awards (Part 1)

By Alan S. Gensoli

In one or two past columns, I extolled to high heavens companies that have shown, or are making baby steps towards showing concern for the environment. In fact, what I’m really keyed up to do is publish the identities of companies who are abusing the environment, or are doing nothing about the environment despite the gazillion pesos they’re earning, and then lead a call to boycott their businesses. My lawyers tell me I could get in trouble that way. So, I’ll skin them differently. I will continue to celebrate “green companies” and hope that my readers would patronize them, which is tantamount to boycotting their competitors. WE NEED TO MAKE COMPANIES MORE RESPONSIBLE ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT, AND UNLESS WE PINCH THEIR POCKETS, SOME WILL CONTINUE TO “PRETEND” THAT THEY JUST DON’T GET IT. WHICH IS WORSE THAN TRULY NOT GETTING IT BECAUSE THEY’RE DUMB. 

This year, “Natural Health,” a leading environment publication in the United States, launched its annual Green Choice Awards. The editors worked with Mr. Green himself, Ed Begley, Jr., star of the TV series “Living with Ed” on HGTV, in choosing 10 corporations who displayed outstanding acts of environmental care. They also chose 15 runners-up. Today, I will share with you five of the winners, and next Monday the other five. Perhaps, two Mondays from now I can also talk about the 15 runners-up who, really, are no less deserving of the recognition. 

The annual Green Choice Awards is given to large corporations as opposed to Mom-and-Pops, or what we call SMEs, for the very reason that “Natural Health” magazine knows that large corporations have the wherewithal to create green technologies and make green products accessible and affordable to more people (because they enjoy economies of scale, among other reasons, I suppose). Indeed, while we applaud individual, humble contributions as critical parts of a whole, the leadership of huge corporations can allow us to leapfrog and make up for years of neglect, complacency, and denial. So, here are five of the top 10, in alphabetical order: 

AVEDA: With 2,218 employees in 27 countries, Aveda’s leading brands are Green Science, Smooth Infusion, and Shampure. These beauty care products are not easily available in the Philippines, but we should know Aveda by yet another name. You see, last year Aveda delivered a revenue of $7.9 Billion to its mother company, Estee Lauder Companies. There’s a familiar brand! So, cosmetic users, pucker up with Estee Lauder! From here on, if it ain’t Estee, it ain’t pretty. 

Aveda’s green focus is in the area of sourcing organic ingredients, including the 98 tons of certified organic essential oils and raw herb ingredients that the company purchased in 2008. Another raw material used heavily by Aveda is plastic. Aveda uses 100% post-consumer (meaning, recycled) packaging, thus diverting over one million pounds of plastic from landfills every single year. Aveda also buys wind-energy credits to offset 100% of the electricity used in its facilities. What does that mean? Energy used to produce every single Aveda product is paid for with wind-energy credits. That’s every single product! 

Meanwhile, Aveda employees have raised over $13 Million for 70 environmental non-profit groups. (For all the Estee Lauder-brand cosmetics and perfumes used by our lady members, the Bacolod Anti-Baha Alliance should apply for assistance. Hey, why not?) The company also gives employees eight paid hours each year for community work. And those who bike to work, walk to work, ride the bus, carpool, or drive a hybrid all get Aveda gift certificates. 

COCA COLA COMPANY: With over 90,000 employees in over 200 countries, Coca Cola earned $29 Billion in 2008. Aside from the obvious softdrink brands, Coca Cola’s family of products includes Nestea and Minute Maid. So, drink up! 

The company’s green focus is in the area of reducing and recycling plastic. In January this year, Coke opened its sixth recycling plant in South Carolina. The facility has the capacity to make two billion, 20-ounce bottles each year, using recycled plastic. The beverage leader has also introduced the 38-percent-smaller bottle cap, which allows it to save 40 million pounds of plastic annually, in the United States alone. Coke’s vending machines are getting green as well, now using 35% less energy, which savings account for the elimination of 630,000 tons of emissions every year. And get this: Coke’s Drink2Wear line of clothing is sewn from used plastic bottles, in fact some five billion bottles since 2007. 

On top of all that, Coke also organized Green Teams among its employees. Over at the Desna River in the Ukraine, Coke employees collected four tons of garbage and planted over 100 trees. And remember the Earth Hour last March? Two corporate headquarters switched off lighting that night, while billboards around the world turned dark. 

DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS: With 4,000-plus employees working in 170-plus countries around the world, the popularity of this company is attributed largely to the Discovery Channel. Thanks to Cable TV subscribers like you and I, Discovery last year raked in earnings of up to $3.44 Billion. 

Discovery’s green focus is in the area of creating eco-themed programming. But we’re not talking just Discovery Channel anymore. In 2008, Discovery launched Planet Green, the first TV channel to dish out “green” programming 24/7. Please call your local Cable TV company and urge them to bring Planet Green into your communities. Discovery’s headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, is a showcase of environmental awareness. Wind-energy credits have been bought since 2007 to offset 100% of the office’s electricity and gas consumption. The building is lit up by 4,000 CFLs (compact fluorescent lamps). And the company reduces its carbon emissions by at least 260 tons, and saves 24,000 gallons of water each year by installing rainwater tanks. Now, if Discovery can do it, so can we trap rainwater in our own homes. 

Off screen, there’s more greening happening at Discovery. Employees compete to lower electricity and paper usage, thus tripling the company’s recycling rate. Those who take public transportation or buy bikes are reimbursed, and free shoes are given to those who walk to work. 

FFORD MOTOR: Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Mazda, and Volvo...these are the key brands of Ford Motor, and you ought to give these a try before you decide on your next luxury car purchase, import, or smuggle (I really don’t mean to suggest the last one, but if you have to do it anyway, choosing a “green” brand can provide saving grace). With 245,000 employees in over 40 countries, Ford rang up a whopping $172.5 Billion earnings in 2008. 

Ford Motor’s green focus is in curbing greenhouse gases. Quite apparent now in the U.S. is the aggressive marketing of hybrid cars as more manufacturers have rolled out their versions and government is giving all sorts of financial breaks to those who purchase and drive them. But while most car makers have remained on the level of using renewable sources of energy, such as electricity and biofuels, Ford Motor has put the pedal to the metal in the race to hybrid domination. Ford’s hybrid car, the Escape, sports seats made from 100% post-industrial recycled fabric. By doing this alone, Ford reduces its carbon emissions by 900 tons and saves 600,000 gallons of water. Moreover, the Escape’s new engine, the EcoBoost, launched only this year, makes the car 20% more fuel efficient. In the face of an environmental emergency, I really don’t see any reason why such seats, such engine, or the car itself, cannot find its way to the Bacolod market sooner rather than later. 

Ford Motor employees live up to the culture of a market leader. They have turned vacant lots in 17 facilities into habitats for local flora and fauna. They have also created walking trails to encourage walking (imagine that from a car manufacturer) and for nearby residents to visit their facilities. Meanwhile, all Ford Motor employees are given two paid days a year to do volunteer work. It’s probable then, that on any given day at Ford Motor, someone’s doing a good turn for the community - on any given day! 

KRAFT FOODS: Kraft has been a mark of good quality food since I can remember, and while many of us know the company by its cheese, Kraft has entered our kitchens and lunch boxes through various other products. And this Kraft continues to do to this day. In 2008, Kraft earned $42 Billion doing business in 150 countries with 100,000 employees. 

Kraft’s foresight and dynamism have brought the company to the world of coffee, where Kraft now is keen on ensuring long-term viability. And so, for this year’s Green Choice Awards, the company’s green focus is in sourcing sustainably grown coffee. And I’m not just referring to sustainable supply of coffee. I’m talking about coffee that is grown in ways that care for the environment. In 2008, Kraft Foods purchased 33,000 tons of coffee that sustains farming practices on 40,000 acres of land. More significantly for the environment, they are “Rainforest Alliance” certified coffee. Meanwhile, eight years of environmental concern have now reduced Kraft’s CO2 emissions, and energy and water use by up to 34%. Recycling rate has been pumped up to an impressive 90%. 

So, remember these companies: Aveda, Coke, Discovery, Ford, and Kraft. Next time you shop, buy their brands; it’s the least we can do to thank them, and to show their competitors who have yet to do their share, that we the consumers demand that they do their share now. On Monday next week, I will tell you the other five winners of the Green Choice Awards. Since the list is in alphabetical order, and since we’ve mentioned winners up to Kraft, only companies whose names start with the letter L up to Z have a chance to be endorsed by me. If your company does not qualify, don’t even bother reading my column next week. It’ll only make you cry. 

I don’t know about you, but I have a “home channel” on my TV. That’s the channel I most frequently watch. It used to be a cable news network. But with the Green Choice Awards, I’ve made a new Discovery! And this is exactly what I mean by “consumerism.” Tomorrow morning I will check my fridge and grocery cabinet and list down all the products that are in there. Every product that has a Kraft alternative should then fear. Put my money where my mouth is, that’s right! Either that, or I’m wasting my time in this advocacy.*

A Sea Without Shells

By Gigi M. Campos

Spending time at the beach in Sipalay is always a welcome respite - away from the problems of city life, uncollected garbage and pollution. Walking along the shores, always gets me to think of how life is like a beach. Waves of things happen to us, some good, some bad. Do we sink or swim or end up empty and lifeless on the beach, giving up when things get tough and emptying us of hope and life like the broken shells of animals once alive? Or, are we like the shellfish sometimes swept around by waves of opinions or troubles until the tide starts to go out? Or, are we like the sand crabs who live under the sand, waiting for opportunities that could lure us from our safe little holes, then plunging out to grab whatever we can of life, love, or hope then retreating back in our holes once we think we’ve had enough of life? Or, are we like the sea gulls who fly above, enjoying the wind under our wings, diving in when we see food to eat, bobbing on the water, going with the flow of life? Or, are we like the little fish who live in the shallow waters sometimes, avoiding predators, eating when they need to, enjoying the unity of a school of other fish as they swim about exploring the currents, the underwater world, and experiencing life? 

Our oceans are becoming more acidic by the day, affecting the ability of shellfish and coral to create the shells and skeletons vital to their survival. In the 1960s, Rachel Carson came out with a book “Silent Spring” which alerted the world to the problems of the insecticide DDT in the food chain. Birds of prey were particularly vulnerable, with their eggshells becoming so thin they could no longer contain growing embryos. The threat of springtime with no birdsong catapulted the world into a new awareness of ecology and conservation. 

Forty-nine years on, a new threat is looming, this time in the sea. Once again the busy rhythm of people is causing an ecological crisis. Not as complicated as modeling global warming, not as simple as banning a pesticide, our newest planetary drama is called ocean acidification. It happens because of the connections between air, water, and shells. 

We know that human activities, particularly the burning of coal, oil, petrol and wood, have for the past 200 years increased the amount of carbon dioxide, or CO2, in the atmosphere. While these molecules float around in the air, they act like a blanket keeping Earth warm and eventually changing the whole climate. The warming effects of CO2 have been less than they could have been, however, because about a third of CO2 from the air gets mopped up by the oceans. 

What’s good for global climate change, however, is bad for the sea. When you add CO2 to sea water, it becomes more acid. And that means that the carbonate ion, CO3, gets scarcer. That might seem like no big deal, but many marine plants and animals use carbonate, along with calcium, for constructing protection and structure. 

Clams, snails, urchins, corals, some algae, and many plankton all use calcium carbonate (CaCO3) to build their shells. 

Marine ecologists have only just begun to investigate the potential problems that a more acid ocean might pose to creatures in the sea. What they have found so far is alarming. Tiny plankton, zillions of which form part of the basis of the marine food chain, are usually protected by a robust and complex ball of carbonate. 

But when you grow them in more acid conditions, these little shells become thinner and more frail. Even more alarming, experiments with corals show that under acid conditions, some do not make a skeleton. They sit there like a jelly glob with no sign of the complex architecture that makes coral reefs so diverse and so attractive to tourists - and to fish. This isn’t just a problem for squishy marine critters. Marine aquaculture and multimillion-dollar fisheries such as mussel farming are likely to be affected. 

Tourism to coral reefs is another multimillion-dollar industry, and some economies are wholly reliant on it. There is even the suggestion that a more acid ocean could be more corrosive and thus affect shipping and ports. 

Our seas are growing more acid by the day. Early estimates suggested that acidity could go up 30 per cent by the end of this century. Now scientists are warning that, in the Southern Ocean, we could be seeing measurable changes within a few decades. The effects of what we have already pumped into the air are probably irreversible. There are no practical solutions or cures - no antacid for the sea’s indigestion. The only thing we can do is to slow it down. 

Luckily, we already want to reduce carbon emissions and know we need to stop the invisible clouds of CO2 rising into the air. We already have mechanisms in place to change how we live and travel. Ocean acidification provides another, and perhaps a more urgent, reason for continuing on this path as fast as possible. 

Luckily, we still have birds of prey. That is because people cared, listened and took action. Ordinary gardeners stopped using DDT, and eventually governments also responded. Now you can’t buy DDT and you can’t spray it around. 

Geologists, who specialize in the long- term view, are beginning to call the present time a period of the anthropocene epoch. The term Anthropocene is used by some scientists to describe the most recent period in the earth’s history. It has no precise start date, but may be considered to start in the late 18th century when the activities of man first began to have a significant global impact on the Earth’s climate and ecosystems. 

It is when the activities of humans are so pervasive that they will be the dominant signal in the geologic record of our time. So far, it appears that the anthropocene will be renowned for its great extinction event - a period in which Earth became so unhealthy that hundreds of species of animals and plants ceased to be. Given that acidification is to be added to the effects of coastal pollution, ongoing development, sedimentation and over-fishing, it is not surprising that our coastal ecosystems are set to crash. 

We can choose to make a difference if we want to continue to enjoy the sight, sounds, smells and feel of the water, sun and sand... Think about all those millions of plankton making their complex and perfect skeletons. When we are on the road, we need to think about that exhaust, puffing out the back of every car, each little bit of CO2 heading into the air, into the sea, a little drop of poison for our planet. Each of us can make small differences. Think about what you can do, today, to save just one plankton, just one coral. Because a sea without shells is like a springtime without birds.* 

Biodiesel - The New Age Fuel

By Lourdes Ledesma

We are at the dawn of a new age in fuel use. And just in time, too, when our cities are being overwhelmed by fogs of pollution. Our new biofuels are biodiesel and bioethanol, sourced locally and a great boon to the livelihoods of countless of our countrymen. Allow me to tell you about biodiesel.

Biodiesel is a blend of plant oil (in the Philippines, coconut oil) and petroleum diesel fuel. As mandated by the Biofuels Act of 2006, the first stage is a blend of 1% coco-biodiesel and 99% petroleum diesel. The coconut oil is first processed so that the glycerine (taba or sebo) is first removed and replaced with methyl alcohol (methanol). In other countries the plant oils may be derived from soybean, rapeseed, canola, sunflower or jatropha, olive and palm, or from used cooking oil (vegetable or animal). In the Philippines, the biodiesel blend is marketed as B1 and has been in use since 2002. The coco-biodiesel is engineered according to fuel specifications of the Philippine National Standard (PNS) and is called Coconut Methyl Ester (CME). The World-Wide Fuel Charter (WWFC) is the official standard for fuel specifications that is accepted by most major automotive manufacturers throughout the world, and it accepts blends up to 5% for diesel vehicles.

Coco-biodiesel has unique cleansing properties that can dissolve carbon and diesel soot deposits in engine combustion chambers and declogs fuel lines and fuel injector nozzles, thus extending engine life and promoting engine efficiency. Its high lubricity enhances the efficient movement of the moving parts in the fuel pump and fuel injector unit. It restores the efficiency of old engines, too.

Because of its high cetane number and oxygen content, a more complete and faster rate of combustion of the fuel is achieved. This not only cuts down the formation of harmful gases and black smoke, which is actually unexpended energy in the form of partially burnt fuel. This translates to fuel savings and is converted to greater power and mileage efficiency. Furthermore, better acceleration response is achieved, providing motorists with full driving satisfaction. Fuel economy has two cost components, namely purchase cost (P/lt.) and performance cost (kms./lt.) While the coco-biodiesel blend may be an added cost in P/lt, its great benefit comes from kms/lt., and of course, the reduction of pollution from black smoke and harmful gases. For every liter of biodiesel blend used, 3 kg of carbon dioxide is substantially reduced in the atmosphere.

Because the coco-biodiesel blend improves engine efficiency and declogs and lubricates its moving parts, it extends the life of engines and cuts down on maintenance costs, which translates to savings for the motorists. Another plus that emerges is the resurgence of the coconut industry and the increased livelihoods for millions of Filipinos dependent on the industry.

The Philippines is the leading producer of coco-biodiesel in the Asian region. Currently the total national output is 257 million liters/year, of which 147 million liters is used for domestic consumption and the balance is exported. Chemrez Inc., one of the major producers of coco-biodiesel in the country, exports 500,000 liters to Germany, China, Chinese Taipei, South Korea and Malaysia. San Miguel Corp. is also going heavily into coco-biodiesel production.

Other major players like PNOC-Alternative Fuels Corp., are developing jatropha as feedstock for biodiesel market. Presently it is engaged in conducting feasibility studies to establish its economic viability, vis-a-vis the declining prices of crude oil in the international market. It plans to establish oil refineries in several areas of the country, too. The Dept. Of Energy has so far accredited three coco-biodiesel producers, Aside from PNOC-AFC, it has approved Senbel, Inc., and the DOST-Phil. Council for Industry and Energy Research and Development Romtron (PCIERD).

Jatropha is a drought resistant perennial, growing in marginal/poor soil, which may be suitable in less developed areas of the Philippines. It grows relatively quickly and has a life span of 50 years, producing seeds with an oil content of 37%. The oil can be combusted without being refined and burns with a clear, smoke-free flame, tested successfully as fuel for simple diesel engines. It produces nuts after 2-5 years. It has medical uses in diseases like cancer, piles, snakebite, dropsy and paralysis. India is a heavy producer of Jatropha.

Other sources of bio-diesel are rapeseed, soybean oil, palm and waste vegetable oil. These are not produced in commercial quantities in this country. Soybean is the most commonly-grown oil-yielding plant in the United States, while Europe produces biodiesel from rapeseed and sunflower oil. Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand have palm as an abundant source. 

The city of San Francisco in California, U.S.A. has established a pilot plant to convert the city’s waste cooking oil from restaurants into biodiesel fuel for the city’s 1,500 trucks and vehicles. In May of 2008, Mayor Gavin Newsom announced the receipt of a $1 million grant from the California Energy Commission to the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission to build the city’s first grease-biodiesel production facility. The plant will create three grades of biodiesel from “brown grease,” which are pan scrapings, and oil residues in grease traps in restaurants. These are collected by municipal trucks and turned into 1) biodiesel for vehicles, 2) lower grade biofuel for running sewage treatment plant diesel turbines and pumps, and 3) methane gas at the sewage plant and converting it for heating needs. In September, 2008 the San Francisco Port Commission approved construction of a $10 million biodiesel plant from brown grease. As mandated by law, all the city’s vehicles run on grown grease biodiesel fuel.

I believe this can be done on a small scale here in Bacolod. When a door closes on a good thing, windows of opportunity open for the future, if we are quick to seize it.*