La Trinidad launches zero waste facility

By ALMA B. SINUMLAG
www.nordis.net

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet — In its program to reduce the garbage problem “not only for today but also garbage problem in the future”, the municipal government here on November 4 launched a 58-million peso zero waste management technology that its fabricator called the “Super Black Hole”.

Mayor Greg Abalos said, the concept of the facility is like that of the black hole in outerspace where any matter entering the hole becomes nothing. “It is like a decreation process where a creation is disintegrated,” Wisdom Amahah, representative of NGO support system said during the press conference.

The facility, Akio Shigeta, the inventor said can process all waste materials except ceramics, glass and metal. Even radioactive materials like used batteries can be decomposed by the Super Black Hole, he added. This kind of facility, he further said, is the first time to be launched in the whole world and he is thankful that the municipality accepted their proposal. There is one similar facility existing in Japan but it is smaller. La Trinidad’s facility, he said, is customized for the kind of waste materials that the municipality is generating.

Amahah pointed out that the Super Black Hole’s best characteristic is that it can operate without fuel or electricity. It only uses 400-watt electricity he said for the blower that ignites the heat inside the facility. Moreover, he explained that the black hole has three layers namely the Dehydration, Decomposition and the Ash layers where in the temperature is from 30ºC to 350ºC.

The Dehydration layer dries up the waste materials before it goes down to the Decomposition layer where the highest temperature is 200ºC to be able to disintegrate the materials before it goes down to the ash layer where the highest temperature is 350ºC. The earlier facility, Amahah said, in Japan produces water vapor and very little amount of ash. But instead of water vapor, the new facility, he added, is producing wood vinegar (muko sako) that can be used as pesticide, soil moisturizer and deodorant.

How the Black Hole was realized

Abalos recalled that the municipality used to have an open dump in Buyagan that was opened during the term of former Mayor Galwan. However, when Abalos assumed office, there were petitions to close the dump from nearby residents. As a result of his ocular visit to the area, Abalos realized the need to close it because the leachate from the garbage was flowing to the river.

Thus, on January this year, they decided to use the Engineered Sanitary Landfill (ESL) built in 2006 during the term of now Provincial Governor Nestor Fongwan. Sometime in March, his attention was caught by the ‘black hole’ solid waste management proposal because among the many proposals, the black hole was distinct to the point that they thought they were being fooled. He then indorsed the proposal to the Sangguniang Bayan and the proponents were invited to present it in April.

Further, the municipality had to pay for the facility to be shipped from Japan. They sought help from concerned private sectors and the Cooperative of Bank of Benguet, he said, was kind enough to give 18 million pesos. The municipality hopes to complete the payment with the help of other entities.

Not an absolute solution to the garbage problem

“Garbage is a problem existing anywhere at this point in time,” Abalos said adding they as the local government unit should initiate solutions specially that La Trinidad is growing faster.

However, he stressed that the new facility is not the absolute solution to the problem although it will be a big help. The people’s discipline he pointed out is still the most effective way to solve the problem. That is why, while the machine can process almost all waste materials, they (municipal officials) are encouraging their constituents to raise discipline and continue segregating their waste.

Approximately, La Trinidad is generating 40 tons of wastes daily and another 40 tons from the vegetable trading post, Abalos said. Those that come from the trading post are hauled directly to the town’s aerated composting plant just above the land fill.

“We are hoping that this facility will maintain the volume of garbage hauled at the dumpsite or even lessen it,” Abalos added. They started using the facility on November 3 and he has observed that the Black Hole can process five tons every four hours.

The machine will operate 24 hours in the first six months before they (proponents) will open it for cleaning and maintenance. #