January is Zero
Waste Month where promoting proper waste segregation and effective
waste management.
According to
Mary Grace Bannagao of
the Provincial Government
Environment and Natural
Resources Office (PG-ENRO) Laguna, it is crucial
for individuals to cultivate
zero waste habits within
their homes and schools,
as this significantly contributes to local waste
management efforts.
“Garbage must
be sorted at the household
level before being thrown;
we are responsible for
managing our waste. Naturally, it also matters a
great deal when our parents use these easy techniques at home, as this will
greatly benefit our nature,”
she said.
In addition to
instilling zero waste values at home, Bannagao
underscores the role of
schools in cultivating environmental consciousness
among young people. She
regards the inclusion of
comprehensive environmental management, tree
planting, and waste management in the school curriculum as crucial in shaping students’ awareness
and responsibility in preserving the environment.
“Comprehensive
environmental management, planting trees, and
garbage management are
all part of the school’s curriculum. Students become
conscious in the environment and eventually adopt
what they learn in class
and practice it in their
home,” Bannagao said.
According to
PG-ENRO Laguna, one
of the primary challenges faced by local governments is the abundance of
plastic bag waste.
Bannagao urges
the public to prioritize the
use of eco-friendly bags,
which are both durable
and sustainable, as an alternative to plastic bags.
She added: “Our
choice of materials will
ultimately determine how
sustainable or not our
trash contributions are, it
will also appear that this
will become our way of life
at our house.”
Bannagao believes that everyone’s
contribution, no matter
how small, plays a vital
role in preserving the environment for future generations.
She stresses the
importance of understanding that even the smallest
household tasks, individual lifestyles, and consumption habits can have
a significant impact on environmental management.
With this awareness, she
believes that individuals
can make more informed
decisions and adopt more
mindful daily practices.
Zero Waste
Month was declared in
January through Presidential Proclamation No. 760,
signed by former President Benigno S. Aquino III
in 2014. The proclamation
aims to guide people in
transitioning their lifestyles
and practices to emulate
sustainable natural cycles,
where discarded materials
can be repurposed as resources for others.
This year’s Zero
Waste Month theme is
“Sustainable Waste Management in Livable Communities: Zero Waste
to Philippine Waters by
2040.” (AM/PIA-4A)
