Press Release: Waste-to-energy project shines at Manila conference
Waste-to-energy project shines at Manila conference
MANILA, 11 September 2009 - Within the framework of the
international conference on Green Industry in Asia that opened in
Manila on Wednesday, Quezon City Mayor, Feliciano R. Belmonte Jr.
met UNIDO Director-General Kandeh K. Yumkella to present the true
"tragedy to triumph" story of Payatas.
Once one of the largest open dumps in the Philippines, it is now a
shining example of sustainable waste management.
"Since the start of its operations in 1973, Payatas has been a
heavily criticized site, not least because of the tragedy that
befell it in 2000. But what was once a symbol of everything that's
wrong with waste disposal systems is now a showcase for controlled
disposal facilities that result in an improved environment," said
Mayor Belmonte Jr.
The metamorphosis of Payatas could not be more spectacular: not
only has Quezon City transformed the dump site into a safe
environment, it also pioneered the extraction and future commercial
utilization of methane gas. As a result, a 100-kW pilot methane
power plant has been build. Payatas is also the first registered
Clean Development Mechanism project under the Kyoto Protocol in
solid waste management in the Philippines and Southeast Asia.
Some of its many benefits include contributing to green house gas
reduction by capturing methane, reducing and eliminating fire and
explosion hazards ,improving slope stability, thus reducing trash
slide ,improving compaction of the dumpsite due to the removal of
biogas and improving local air, water and soil quality.
"Among the many changes that are required to make green industry
happen is leadership", said UNIDO's Kandeh Yumkella, "Mayor
Belmonte Jr. has transformed Payatas into an admirable example of
transition which deserves due recognition, not only for the
benefits to the environment it has provided. But also because it
has literally transformed Quezon City into a new community where
even scavengers are an integral part of the solid waste management
stream."
The Conference, which endorsed a Ministerial Declaration and
associated Plan of Action that outlines the steps needed to reduce
the resource intensity and greenhouse gas emissions of industries
in Asia, will conclude today when the President of the Republic of
the Philippines, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, will deliver her keynote
address.