Participation of the Youth in Solid Waste Management

PARTICIPATION OF THE YOUTH IN THE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT OF BAGUIO CITY
: An Impact Study

Background of the Study The growth of the world’s population, increasing urbanization, rising standards livings, and rapid development of technology have all contributed to an increase in both the amount and variety of solid wastes generated by industrial, domestic and others activities (UNEP, 1991 ). The problem of dealing with greater volumes often more dangerous waste material, are particularly acute in developing countries where these changes have not been met by improvement in waste management technologist (Wilson and Balkan, 1990). Even domestic solid waste has become a health hazard in many developing countries as a result of careless handling and failures to organized appropriate solid waste collection schemes. If current trends continue, the world may see a five-fold-increase in waste generation by the year 2015. A high proportion of the waste could be recyclable by the urban poor generating income for them protecting the environment
Throughout the country, Varying numbers of poor individual survive by salvaging materials from the waste stream these people recover material to sell for re-use or recycling, as well diverse items for their own consumption. Most studies report scavengers constitute poor segments of the population of developing countries.
Scavenging is a widespread occurrence. One can find on the street or in garbage dump of Third world City people collecting all kinds of material from waste (Bartone, 1988).
Solid waste (non-hazardous) is defined as “any garbage, refuse, sludge from waste treatment plant, water supply or air control facility and other discarded material, including solid, liquid, and semisolid or contained gaseous material resulting from industrial, commercial, mining, and agricultural operation and from community activities, but does not include solid or dissolve material in domestic sewage.” (www.stlcin .org) These are material no longer required by an individual, Institution or industry. Including: cost saving, extended Landfill life span, resources conservation, energy conservation, economic development, pollution prevention greenhouse gas emission reduction, and fostering a sense of community involvement and responsibility (MSW Generation, Recycling, and Disposal in the US: Fact and Figures for 2003).
In the Philippines, particularly in the city of Baguio, two hundred seventy (270) metric tons of garbage is generated in a day. Out of this ninety percent (90%) are being collected while the rest are thrown into rivers or creek, burned or buried in backyards or compounds. Collection in Barangays is schedule twice a week by dump –truck or compositors, while in the Business areas; a daily service is done by the collection of garbage system. Disposal is then carried out by open dumping in 2.5 hectares located 4.5 kms away from the city, (ESWM Manual).
Socio –Demographic Features
Population Density
In many countries, scavenging is sees beneficial to an over all waste management program, waste picking provides employment and up to 20% of the waste stream might be remove (Therefore no longer requiring further management), For scavengers to work supportively within a well-managed solid waste system. It is that source segregation is essential and the pickers need to be legitimized and cooperatively involved in the waste collectors systems. With source segregation practice by waste generation, the opportunities for adequate income to the waste pickers is enhance, and workers issues are minimized
Waste collections are usually the largest single group of employees in cities. Any waste to change management programs that could impact these employees need to be considered carefully. Occupation Health and Safety studies from various low-income and high income counties show that waste collection is a particularly hazardous occupation (Medina, 1997).
Much of solid wastes recovered by scavenger are sold to industrial facilities that recycle them. This is why recycling is an important component of any integrated waste management system. This includes a board range of environmental stewardship concern as well as practical interest in local economic condition and opportunities.
Solid waste management is a polite term for garbage management. As long as humans have been living in settled communities, solid waste, or garbage, has been an issue, and modern societies generate far more solid waste than early humans ever did. Daily life in industrialized nations can generate several pounds of solid waste per consumer, not only directly in the home, but indirectly in factories that manufacture goods purchased by consumers. Solid waste management is a system for handling all of this garbage; municipal waste collection is solid waste management, as are recycling programs, dumps, and incinerators.
To the great benefit of archeology, early solid waste management consisted of digging pits and throwing garbage into them. This created a record of the kinds of lives that people lived, showing things like what people ate, the materials used to make eating utensils, and other interesting glimpses into historic daily life. When human cities began to be more concentrated, however, solid waste management became a serious issue. Houses that did not have room to bury their garbage would throw it into the streets, making a stroll to the corner store an unpleasant prospect. In response, many cities started to set up municipal garbage collection, in the form of rag and bone men who would buy useful garbage from people and recycle it, or waste collection teams which would dispose of unusable garbage.
For most industrialized nations today, solid waste management is a multibillion dollar business which is also crucial to survival. Garbage collection agencies remove tons of garbage yearly and sort it for recycling or ultimate disposal. Most cities require citizens to pay for waste collection, while rural areas have dumps and recycling facilities for citizens to bring their garbage to. The end goal is a reduction of the amount of garbage clogging the streets and polluting the environment, whether that garbage is disposed of or recycled into something useful. Solid waste management also is focused on developing environmentally sound methods of handling garbage; for example, solid waste is no longer dumped into oceans or unlined pits.
There are a number of types of solid waste which need to be dealt with. The first is recyclable waste, objects which are useful, but no longer wanted. Solid waste management includes the construction of facilities to recycle these goods, which include scrap metal, glass, cans, paper, plastics, wood, and similar materials. Another category is toxic waste; waste which could potentially contaminate the environment, meaning that it needs to be handled with care. This category includes electronic waste, a growing problem in many industrialized nations. Next is green waste such as compost and yard clippings. People with land can compost their own green waste, and many cities collect it separately from true garbage, the final category, so that the green waste can be composted and returned to the earth.
The majority of solid waste is collected in bins ranging in size from household trash cans to industrial dumpsters which are filled by individuals or companies. Solid waste collection trucks roam the streets on regular schedules to collect these bins. Garbage is also collected by street sweeping agencies, volunteer cleanup organizations, and through consumers who bring their waste directly to the solid waste management company. Once solid waste is collected, it is routed to a recycling facility, garbage facility that can handle toxic waste, composting center, or disposed of. Many solid waste management companies maintain large dumps for this purpose, while others incinerate their garbage, using the energy generated by the incinerator to run a recycling plant or feed power back into the electrical grid.

Data collection and compilation
This would enhance their knowledge of the project and waste management issues in the Philippines especially in their localities and we used surveys as a means of gathering information and interviewing techniques.
DISCUSSIONS:
We know from experience that there are issues and challenges we are confronted and because of this some issues confronting the society about the youth, I have chosen the topic participation of the youth in the solid waste management of Baguio City and A survey questionnaire was formulated in the students of school of human sciences and liberal arts human sciences which covers the youths ages 16-18, to weigh to weigh how the youth’s participation in the implementation of the Solid Waste Management of Baguio City, being the hope of our fatherland and this are the things I asked:
The main waste types covered in the questionnaire are there participation in the:
A. Scavenging & Solid Waste Segregation
1. Separating recyclables at the place assigned for Barangay garbage collection
2. Retrieving recyclables prior to the disposal of waste in to the assigned place for collection.
3. Purchasing source-separated recyclables from residents.
4. Picking up litters on streets or public places.
5. Working out, sorting out recyclables.
B. Economic related Activities
1. Recyclables are sold at a junk yard.
2. Buyer picks up recyclables at the scavenger’s place.
3. Recyclables are sold to a recycling station.
C. How do you think problems in the Solid Waste Management can be handled properly or solved?

In general household waste management on land within residential premises is not an issue, except where houses are located close together. With land-based houses organic waste is either given to pigs or buried in a backyard pit while combustible inorganic waste is either piled into
We administer our survey questionnaires to 30 respondents which are selective students of the University of Baguio-School of Liberal Arts and Human Science. To come up with my percentage rate, I divided the number of response given by the respondents to the total number of respondents (30) and multiply it with 100 %/( .100).
Based on the data that I have gathered I found out that 73% out of 100% participate in the Scavenging and Solid Waste Segregation. Youth have new ideas that shares to the improvement/development of our country; they have powerful mind that can be very helpful to the future; They are provided with opportunities to learn and express themselves; youth strive hard to finish their studies; they will soon take part in governing this country; and they participate in the Scavenging and solid Waste Segregation since they would be the next generation which will benefit with the participation in environmental activities they are doing , while 23% out of 100% say they don’t participate on the Solid Waste management of Baguio City although they wanted to because some of them are busy and they don’t have time to segregate, recycle, reduce and do away with the provisions in the Solid Waste Management which every individual should abide. Youth also being the fair hope of our fatherland doesn’t participate also because at their ages they are so busy in their outdoor activities which make them aggressive and irresponsible and don’t care about the future and soon became the scam or problem of society.
Conclusion
The general poor state of cleanliness of Baguio City and their participation of the Solid Waste Management are not much being observed and they are not much aware about the negative health and environmental impacts of improper waste disposal. In addition, although local regulations relating to waste disposal exist, they are simply not being enforced.
The tie and very close location of houses over the other also encourages people to simply discard their waste into the bodies of water. The absence of a collection and disposal system is another contributing factor.
In order to improve the situation, the people must make an effort to dispose of various types of waste in a responsible manner. The existing regulations should be reviewed and amended to improve monitoring and enforcement. A common dumpsite needs to be established, accompanied by a feasible collection and disposal system.
Recommendations
Based on evaluation of the collected survey information, the following actions should be taken in order to improve waste management in Baguio City and its environmental impacts.
1. Government should strengthen their programs regarding solid waste Management so that the youth or every individual will participate of its implementation;
2. A suitable location, which will serve as the communal dumpsite for no recyclable inorganic waste, should be identified as a matter of urgency.
3. A feasible waste collection and disposal system should be established immediately.
4. Waste separation should be encouraged and each waste type should be disposed of in an appropriate manner.
5. The sale of recyclable material to buyers in Baguio City should be organized.
6. Direct disposal of human and pig feces into the bodies of water should be discouraged.
7. A variety of awareness activities — targeting different age, gender and interest groups within the Baguio City — should be carried out to encourage proper and responsible disposal of waste.