MMDA collects 300K kilos of recyclable materials

THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority yesterday said it has collected almost 300,000 kilograms of recyclable materials since it started its “Recyclables Mo, Palit Grocery Ko” initiative.

The program which was launched in 2021 is part of the agency’s initiative under the Metro Manila Flood Management Project Phase 1 to rid the metropolis of waste materials that if thrown haphazardly could clog waterways during the rainy season.

MMDA Chairperson Romando Artes said the recyclable materials were collected by the agency’s mobile materials recovery facility which goes to different barangays collecting recyclables from residents.

Under the project, residents earn points for every recyclable material like bottles, papers and cans, and the points can be exchanged for basic goods such as sugar, oil and canned goods, he said.

Artes said P1.3 million worth of grocery items has been received by the residents who collected and turned over the recyclable materials.

The earned and redeemed points of each resident are recorded in their own Ecosavers Passbook provided by the MMDA.

Meanwhile, Artes said the agency has collected 25 truckloads of garbage from areas in Metro Manila as part of its participation in the inter-agency cleanup drive KALINISAN (Kalinga at Inisyatiba para sa Malinis na Bayan) sa Bagong Pilipinas spearheaded by the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

Aside from the clean-up conducted at the kick-off ceremony Friday at the Baseco Compound in Tondo, Manila, 16 other cleanup operations in different locations per city in the metropolis were conducted by some 350 personnel deployed for the activity.

Among the areas where simultaneous cleanup drives were held were barangays Tanza (Tanza Marine Tree Park) in Navotas City; Tonsuya (Letre Creek) in Malabon City; Paso de Blas (De Castro Subdivision) in Valenzuela City; Barangay 28, 14 (C-3 Road) and 12 Lapu-lapu Creek in Caloocan City; Commonwealth and Talipapa in Quezon City; Batis, San Juan City; Addition Hills, Mandaluyong City; Tumana and Malanday (Creek), Marikina City; Pinagbuhatan (Avesa Creek), Pasig City; San Pedro in Pateros; Ususan Kalayaan in Taguig City; San Isidro (Tripa de Gallina