Republic Act No. 9003

Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000

What does R.A. stand for?

It refers to all discarded household, commercial waste, non-hazardous institutional and industrial waste, street sweepings, construction debris, agricultural waste, and other non-hazardous/non-toxic solid waste.

It describes as a discipline associated with the control of generation, storage, collection, transfer and transport, processing, and disposal of solid waste.

Salient Points of The Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 (RA 9003)

It refers to primarily be conducted at the source, to include household, institutional, industrial, commercial, and agricultural sources.

All collectors and other personnel directly dealing with the collection of solid waste shall be equipped with personal protective equipment to protect them from the hazards of handling solid waste.

shall refer to the treating of used or waste materials through a process of making them suitable for beneficial use and for other purposes and includes any process by which solid waste materials are transformed into new products in such a manner that the original products may lose their identity, and which may be used as raw materials for the production of other goods or services.

It is a voluntary method of environmental performance certification and labelling that is practiced around the world. An ecolabel identifies products or services proven to be environmentally preferable within a specific category.

What does DTI stand for?

Separate collection systems or convenient drop-off locations for recyclable materials and particularly for separated toxic components of the waste stream like dry cell batteries and tires to ensure that they are not incinerated or disposed of in a landfill.

No person owning, operating, or conducting a commercial establishment in the country shall sell or convey at retail or possess with the intent to sell or convey at retail any products that are placed, wrapped, or packaged in or on packaging that is not environmentally acceptable packaging.

The Commission together with the National Ecology Center, the DTI, and the Department of Finance shall establish procedures, standards, and strategies to market recyclable materials and develop the local market for recycled goods.

Materials recovery facilities shall be designed to receive, sort, process, and store compostable and recyclable material efficiently and in an environmentally sound manner.

It refers to the controlled decomposition of organic matter by microorganisms, mainly bacteria and fungi, into a humus-like product.

One of the prohibited activities under this law is the use of open dumpsites or dumps for solid waste, so it’s no longer allowed. So, this law mandates the closure of that open dumps.

It refers to a waste disposal site designed, constructed, operated, and maintained in a manner that exerts engineering control over significant potential environmental impacts arising from the development and operation of the facility.

Rewards, monetary or otherwise, shall be provided to individuals, private organizations, and entities, including nongovernment organizations, that have undertaken outstanding and innovative projects, technologies, processes, and techniques or activities in re-use, recycling, and reduction.

Human activities contribute significantly to waste management. Recognizing the effects of improper management, and garbage crisis can be prevented by practicing waste characterization and segregation at source, proper collection and transfer, recycling, and composting as mandated by the law.

Prohibited Act

Littering, dumping of waste in public areas

Open burning of solid waste

Causing or permitting collection of non-segregated waste