Palompon adopts DOST's bioreactor for its Materials Recovery Facility

By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
January 2, 2012

TACLOBAN CITY  –  The newly constructed Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) of the municipality of Palompon, Leyte  which adopted DOST's bioreactor, is one which must be seen by other municipalities in the Region.

The MRF which was partly-funded by the Provincial Government of Leyte, features equipment such as plastic shedder machine and plastic recycling oven that recycles low-grade plastic wastes into another materials.

Another equipment is the much-talked about DOST-developed Bioreactor facility which was adopted by the local government of Palompon in response to the municipality’ problems on waste management and disposal.

Mayor Ramon Onate said the creation of the MRF facility is in compliance with the provisions of the Ecological Solid Wastes Management Act of 2003 otherwise known as RA 9003.

With the 500-kg bioreactor, the municipality’s biodegradable wastes including those from the town’s market wastes are processed and converted into usable farm inputs or organic composts reducing the volume of landfill disposal.

The bioreactor can produce an average of 2.5 tons of composts every month and this may be sold to the local farmers.

An average of 2.5 tons of compost are being produced every month and is sold at P4/kg to the local farmers.

The bioreactor’s operation has low energy cost and does not emit foul odor.  The technology significantly reduces solid wastes problems in the region particularly on biodegradable wastes.  It also conforms to the Ecological Solid Wastes Management Act of 2003 or popularly known as RA 9003.

Like in any local government unit, waste disposal has been a perennial problem in Palompon, Leyte. It has been searching for a technically viable solution to recycle biodegradable wastes to address this problem and seeing the viability of the bioreactor, it collaborated with DOST-8.

Earlier, the DOST’s Industrial Technology Development Institute (ITDI-DOST) reported that it is offering a package to partially address the surmounting problem on municipal solid waste management with its technology on the biodegradation of solid wastes, using a bioreactor.

The technology package comes with a device that converts biodegradable solid wastes, which account for about 52% of the total municipal solid wastes generated daily, into compost, a good fertilizer for vegetable crops. Biodegradable wastes include spoiled/wilted vegetables, fruit peels, meat/fruit/vegetable trimmings, food leftovers, fish entrails/trimmings, leaves/twigs, seeds, among others.

Technology adopters will acquire the device from an accredited fabricator and the designated operator acquires training on the technology (training manual/Certificate inclusive).