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An Economic Analysis of Solid Waste Management Practices in Selected Lakeshore Communities Surrounding Laguna de Bay
Abstract:
This study analyzed the solid waste management practices of households in selected lakeshore communities surrounding Laguna de Bay, identified the problems related to solid waste management in these communities, and determined the factors which influenced the households’ willingness to pay (WTP) for improvement in environmental sanitation through a solid waste management program.
The study used primary data gathered from sample households through household surveys and focus group discussions (FGDs). Key informant interviews with garbage collection personnel were also conducted.
Results of the study showed that all the sample households in the four lakeshore barangays did not segregate their wastes into biodegradable and non-biodegradable. Moreover, all the solid waste collection personnel in all the sample municipalities did not segregate the wastes in the open dumpsites.
Problems encountered with regard to solid waste management were as follows: (1) frequent vehicle breakdown, (2) lack of knowledge on proper solid waste disposal practices, (3) lack of cooperation among households in practicing proper disposal of solid wastes, (4) low government budget for implementing solid waste management program, and (5) inaccessibility of remote areas to garbage collection services.
Results of the study also revealed that the estimated monthly cost incurred by each municipality in rendering waste collection and disposal services was PHP30.65, PHP22.50, PHP17.50, and PHP14.90 per household in Los Baños, Sta Cruz, Binangonan, and Cardona, respectively.
Majority (85%) of the 577 sample respondents in the four lakeshore communities studied indicated that they were willing to pay for an improvement in environmental sanitation through a solid waste management program. The modal WTP bids in all communities ranged from PHP61 to PHP80 from the household survey and PHP41 to PHP60 from the FGD. Currently, no garbage collection fee is charged from households in all the sample municipalities.
The logit and multiple regression results showed that the probability of household being willing to pay and the WTP bids for an improvement in environmental sanitation were significantly and directly related to household income, household size, occupation of the household head, educational attainment, annual income from fishing and other related activities, and perceived improvement in environmental sanitation.
Based on the results of the study, the following recommendations were derived: (1) the local government should devise better solid waste management systems in their localities; (2) organizers or other stakeholders concerned with promoting environmentalism should conduct trainings on proper solid waste management program; (3) the local government units (LGUs) should collect a user charge from households for waste collection and disposal services to raise funds for the improvement of waste collection and disposal services;( 4) the government should allocate more funds for the purchase of new trucks for waste collection and disposal services; (5) the municipal government should use more fitted vehicles for remote areas to prevent dumping of wastes into the lake; (6) further study should be conducted to quantify the cost of abatement measures as basis for estimating the penalty that would deter households from dumping their wastes into the lake; and (7) the role of the LGUs in the collection of wastes and waste disposal should be strengthened.