WASTE MANAGEMENT: $40-B ASIAN ENTERPRISE STILL HAS ROOM TO GROW

 Philippine Daily Inquirer

February 21, 2007

By: Ronnel W. Domingo

PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT WILL actually spur investments and create jobs, and it is up to the governments in Asia to create effective policies that will lead to sustainable use of resources, according to the Asian Development Bank.

Among developing countries in the Asia-Pacific including the Philippines, businesses related to waste management, now estimated to be worth $40 billion, may further grow by at least 10 percent a year, the ADB said.

This was revealed last week during a two-day forum called 3R Workshop on Effective Management and Resource Use Efficiency in East and Southeast Asia, which the ADB hosted in its headquarters in Mandaluyong City.

3R refers to "reduce, resuse and recycle" in waste management.

Representatives from governments, the private sector, International organizations and non government organizations took part in the forum, which sought to review key issue relating to effective waste management, as well as identify opportunities of investments.

According to Bindu Lohani, director general of ADB's regional and sustainable development department, decision makers have been reluctant to put in place measures to promote efficient use of resources because they believe it will hurt businesses or cause job loss.

Lohani said that, on the contrary, enormous business opportunities will be created once more effective policies are in place.

"More systematic attention to waste management and resource use efficiency translates into new jobs and new business opportunities," he added.

He cited as an example the construction of environmental infrastructure such as wastewater treatment or solid waste management systems.

Lohani said such business opportunities globally are estimated to be worth about $600 billion a year.  This figure is expected to grow to about $800 billion over the next decade.

In the Asia-Pacific region, the existing marker represents some $40 billion, which could grow by as much as 12 percent- the fastest rate in the world.

In the forum, experts warned that Asia's cities alone were generating 760,000 ton of solid waste daily, and this is expected to increase to 1.8 million tons a day by 2005.

Data from the World Health Organization show that the Philippines was producing 10 million tons of waste yearly as of 2000. Of the total volume, 42 percent are recyclable materials.

Every Filipino was churning our an average of 0.5 to 0.7 kilograms of waste daily. A resident of Metro Manila yields an average of 0.66 kg a day.