Hazardous waste piling up in Manila

MANILA, Philippines – Hazardous electronic waste is piling up at the Pier 18 dump in Manila, according to an environmental group.

In a recent statement, EcoWaste Coalition called on the government to move swiftly to avert a “full-blown chemical and humanitarian crisis” due to the illegal disposal of electronic and computer parts by companies in the area—said to be the newest dumping ground for garbage from Metro Manila.

The group said it found “reclaimers” foraging through the dump in search of materials like linear and compact fluorescent lamps, computer circuit boards, and other electrical and electronic items they could sell, despite the chemical risks and hazards these pose.

“Our investigation confirms the apparent lack of regulation and system that would curb the improper disposal of e-waste and the perilous recycling taking place in dumps and junk shops,” said Thony Dizon, coordinator of EcoWaste’s Project Protect (People Responding and Organizing against Toxic Chemical Threats).

EcoWaste said discarded electrical and electronic devices contain hazardous chemicals like beryllium, cadmium, lead, mercury, brominated flame retardants and polychlorinated biphenyls that should not be combined with regular waste.

Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act classifies hazardous household trash like consumer electronics which include cell phones and computers; appliances like stoves, refrigerators, air conditioners and television sets; and bulbs and batteries as “special waste” that should be handled separately from other residential and commercial garbage.

“The toxic and hazardous chemicals in electronic waste can endanger the health of informal recyclers and the people around them, as well as contaminate the environment with toxic pollutants,” Dizon said.

Dizon added that they were worried about children and pregnant and breast-feeding women being exposed to the chemicals, especially cadmium, lead and mercury which are extremely toxic even at low levels.

On Friday, the group wrote to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to alert it to the dangers posed by the dump.

It urged the DENR to craft policies for the safe disposal of electronic trash to promote chemical safety and preserve environmental health. –Alcuin Papa, Philippine Daily Inquirer