43. Industrial waste exchange system

In the Philippines, pollution problems are compounded by the fact that most pollution control equipment and methods are too costly for the Philippine economy. Disposal of industrial wastes is becoming a major concern. As an alternative to costly and environmentally unsound disposal schemes, the Environmental Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, with assistance from the Geotechnical Research Centre of McGill University in Canada, has developed an industrial waste recycling system, based on reusing the wastes in-house or transfering them to another industry. The idea is to use production residues that are in fact raw materials in the wrong place.

The project, called Industrial Waste Exchange - Philippines (IWEP), provides a contact point between industries that want to exchange materials. It is also an information centre providing lists of companies, as well as technical information and assistance on waste management. Project staff will also collect and analyze waste samples when a company is unable to do so in-house.

The system works through a directory of available and wanted materials, that is published twice a year. The entries are coded for confidentiality, and classified into the following categories: acids, alkalis, solvents, plastics and rubber, metals and metal sludges, wood and paper, other inorganic chemicals, other organic chemicals, oils and waxes, textiles and leather, and miscellaneous. Each material listed has a location code, a company code, and technical specifications such as its physical state, pH, colour, contaminants, etc.

Companies can fill out a listing form, free of charge, to be included in the directory. Although IWEP will put two companies in touch with each other, all agreements are negotiated directly between the generator and the potential user of the waste. In 1989, some 40 negotiations were underway in the Philippines.

Some examples of exchanges include:

· Using calcium carbide sludge as a neutralizing agent in wastewater treatment plants;
· Using pineapple pulp waste for cattle fattening;
· Using waste shrimp heads as an animal feed component;
· Using gypsum waste for wall boards and for cement production.

Two conferences on waste exchange were organized in 1988 and 1989, bringing together government and industry. The purpose was to explain the system, introduce new technologies in waste recycling, provide information on waste exchange and utilization, and encourage participation. The conferences were seen as essential elements in the success of the system.

The system has the potential to reduce environmental pollution, improve the economy through the recovery of usable resources, and reduce disposal costs as well as the costs of raw materials.

Potential users

Environmental ministries and organizations. Industries of all kinds can benefit from the system.

Industries of all kinds can benefit from the system

Contact

Industrial Waste Exchange - Philippines
Environmental Management Bureau
6th Floor, Philippines Heart Centre Building
East Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City
3008 Metro Manila, The Philippines
Tel.: 980421 loc. 2601/2632/2653; 975609/975698
Telex: 2507 NEPC PU; Cable: ENVIRON MANILA

Raymond Yong
Geotechnical Research Centre, McGill University
817 Sherbrooke St West
Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 2K6
Tel.: (514) 398-6672; Fax: (514) 398-7361;
Telex: 05-268510