GAIA helps Alaminos attain “Zero Waste”
Date:
September 18, 2009
Many cities in the country today have yet to come up with a long term solution to solid waste handling problem.
On the part of Alaminos, Pangasinan’s 4th and youngest city, it has taken a giant step towards a attaining a garbage-free city with the help of Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA).
Mayor Hernani Braganza signed, in behalf of the city government, a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with GAIA to achieve a “Zero Waste Alaminos City” in the future.
The MOA signing was held last Monday morning at the office of the City Mayor to formalize the collaborative project that promotes a vibrant and eco-conscious city.
GAIA is a global civil society network that is championing Zero Waste as a vehicle for health, environmental and climate protection and for green jobs and enterprises.
With this timely collaboration, the city’s ecological solid waste management will be fully strengthened with enhanced Zero Waste policy and social mobilization for waste prevention, reduction, reuse, recycling and composting.
 Mayor Braganza thanked GAIA for considering Alaminos as one of the beneficiaries of their very noble initiative.
“This is indeed very timely and laudable program, he stressed. It gives us much pleasure to collaborate with GAIA in implementing their initiative that will assist our city government and our citymates in meeting our shared goal for a vibrant and eco-conscious city through a Zero Waste strategy.
The environmental mayor also noted that “A Zero Waste Alaminos City is in accord with his administration’s mission of preserving, protecting and rehabilitating the city vast environment.
“The Zero Waste Project likewise helps us create a community-driven system for managing discards as well as providing opportunities for community involvement, skills-building and livelihood for our people,” he added.
 The said project, with assistance from the Planet Wheeler Foundation, will add to a growing list of eco-friendly initiatives in this city, which is very famous for its pride-the Hundred Islands National Park.
“With this collaborative venture, we hope to demonstrate how communities can escape the costly and ecologically-destructive ‘bury or burn’ trap,” said Manny Calonzo, co-coordinator of GAIA.
“With the indispensable support and participation of the city’s leaders and people, Alaminos will put into practice the most economical climate mitigation program that can cut greenhouse gas emissions from reckless consumption and disposal,” he added.
According to GAIA, the destruction of waste resources in open dumps, landfills and incinerators, including cement kilns, contributes to a climate changing cycle “by depriving the economy of reused, recycled and composted materials, thus requiring increased extraction of raw materials.”
To achieve zero waste disposal, the Zero Waste Alaminos City project will boost up current efforts under the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act with a Zero Waste policy and action plan.
It also augments community recycling and composting activities, eliminate open dumping and open burning, spread information and knowledge and cultivate people’s support and participation.
GAIA plans to tap Zero Waste specialists from within its local partner, the EcoWaste Coalition, which has a pool of active Zero Waste educators, strategists and planners.
GAIA will further link up with Zero Waste champions around the world to enrich and bolster the collaborative venture towards “Zero Waste Alaminos City.” (CIO)
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