The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) reported that more areas are now compliant with the country’s waste disposal laws, as a total of 328 local government units (LGUs) secured their approved 10-year solid waste management plans (SWMPs) from July 2022 to June 2025.
The agency yesterday revealed that an additional 41 LGUs also had their plans renewed for the period.
Under the law, LGUs are mandated to formulate 10-year SWMPs that conform to the National Solid Waste Management Framework of the National Solid Waste Management Commission.
The SWMPs of LGUs include information on projected population and waste generation, as well as corresponding targets for collection, segregation at source, waste diversion, materials recovery facility compliance, collection vehicles, disposal facilities, and budgets within 10 years.
The plans also include strategies for improving waste collection efficiency, maintaining equipment, and operating solid waste management facilities, he added.
The DENR stated that the development brings the total number of cities and municipalities with approved and implemented SWMPs to 89 percent, equivalent to 1,416 out of 1,592 LGUs, advancing the Philippine Development Plan’s objective of improving waste management at the local level.
“These plans serve as the foundation for maximizing resource recovery and reducing dependence on landfill disposal,” DENR Secretary Raphael Lotilla said.
“Proper implementation of these plans involves segregation at source, waste diversion, and the establishment of local disposal facilities to prevent pollution, especially marine litter,” he added.
In addition, LGUs are also expected to conduct public information campaigns, establish materials recovery facilities (MRFs) and sanitary landfills (SLFs), and partner with organizations to enhance recycling and waste processing efforts.
DENR said that the number of operational MRFs also increased from 11,779 in 2022, serving 17,636 barangays, to 12,864 in 2025, now serving a total of 19,464 barangays or 49.3 percent of all barangays nationwide.
Likewise, the number of operational SLFs grew from 287 serving 567 LGUs to 343, currently servicing 748 LGUs, or 49 percent of the country’s 1,515 cities and municipalities.
MRFs are facilities that sort, process, and store recyclable materials, such as paper, plastics, and metals, to prepare them as raw materials for new manufacturing processes, while SLFs are engineered and scientifically managed facilities for the safe disposal of solid waste by burying it in layers of soil.
