How to reduce waste to help solve waste pollution

•       Use what you already have; donate things you do not need; dispose items that cannot be repurposed. •       Educate others to follow simple and cost-efficient initiatives such as bringing food, water, and eco-bag whenever they go out of the house. •       Refrain from buying things with excessive packaging. •       Read product labels carefully to be more mindful of your carbon footprint. There are many ways to practice a sustainable lifestyle – from avoiding the use of plastic items to recycling food and stuff, or to following the disciplined path to zero-waste living. Zero Waste is a movement that promotes the creation and management of products that reduce the volume of trash. It is an advocacy that EcoWaste Coalition (EWC). In 2020, the Philippines’ annual waste was projected at 18 million tons, as per the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ (DENR) Solid Waste Management Status Report 2008-2018. In 2019, the DENR said that 40,000 tons of garbage is generated by each household every day in the Philippines, and each person living in the urban areas produces about half a kilo of garbage daily. Although there are no figures yet for 2021, those figures already are alarming. It also reminds us to be responsible citizens and do our share in solving the waste pollution problem. Jove Benosa of the Zero Waste movement shares a few things we can do. The first rule is to use what you already have; donate things you do not need; dispose items that cannot be repurposed, he said. Benosa said that growing up in a poor household in Bicol has helped him unconsciously practice sustainable living. “I have learned to value each little thing as a resource by reusing them, mending them in case they need repair. I also take care of every new item I receive, so it becomes more durable,” Benosa, who has been with the EWC since July 2019, shared in an online interview with Manila Bulletin. Living in a typhoon-prone region had also taught him to be resilient. He buys durable housing materials and patronizes local products and essentials. He said that those thinking of disposing stuff could also expect cash from what should be trash. Junk shops buy recyclable and scrap materials per kilo—a kilo of paper costs around P6, boxes are about P6, plastic containers, P16, GI corrugated sheets (yero) are about P11, and metal scraps, P15 per kilo, he said. The second rule is about mindset. Be mindful of what you consume, and buy local products. Benosa said he practices these rules by assessing his needs and wants. “I patronize local, clean, quality-made products and refrain from buying plastics with excessive packaging. I read product labels carefully to be more mindful of my carbon footprint and save on other essential resources like energy, water, money, and time,” he said. His next rule is practical – educate others to follow simple and cost-efficient initiatives such as bringing food, water, and eco-bag whenever they go out of the house. The 55-year-old Zero Waste enthusiast said he always encourages friends and relatives to live a “simple, thrifty, and mindful lifestyle.” He has been with EWC for almost three years now with a full-time job under the Marisla Project Foundation — an organization that has supported EWC for 20 years. “I believe that enjoining producers about extended producers’ responsibility (EPR), and the making of clean and non-toxic products, and also, lawmakers about their responsibility to implement the essence of RA 9003 (Ecological Solid Waste Management Act) are equally important in this lifetime goal of making this planet clean, safe, and more protected,” Benosa said.