PERA SA BASURA: Baguio earns ₱320K from 80 tons of recovered plastic waste

BAGUIO CITY — The city government has generated ₱320,000 from its first sale of plastic waste recovery certificates to The Coca-Cola Company and Splash Corporation, covering 80 tons of recovered plastic waste.

Mayor Benjamin Magalong announced the transaction in a post shared by the Baguio City Public Information Office on October 17, marking a step toward strengthening the city’s waste recovery programs and complying with the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Act of 2022.

Each company purchased certificates covering 40 tons of recovered plastic at ₱4,000 per ton.

The initiative was carried out in partnership with ASM Global, an EPR broker that connects companies covered by the law with waste recovery programs. It also received support from the European Union, the EU-PH Green Economy Partnership and the United Nations Development Programme under the city’s Pansa-nopen Tayo circular economy initiative.

The EPR Act, or Republic Act No. 11898, requires covered companies to take responsibility for recovering and diverting plastic packaging waste they introduce into the market by meeting prescribed targets. Verified recovery activities can generate credits recognizing eligible waste diversion efforts.

City General Services Officer Ma. Guadalupe Della said most of the plastic covered by the certificates consisted of used polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles commonly used for bottled water and soft drinks. The materials were sourced from junkshops.

City records showed that approximately 700,000 kilograms of waste were generated from January to August 2026, but only about 50,000 kilograms qualified for EPR credits.

Della said more plastic waste could qualify if materials were properly cleaned, prepared and documented according to program requirements. Discussions are also ongoing for a long-term partnership with the two companies to sustain the initiative.

The city’s waste recovery efforts come amid increasing tourism and the resulting pressure on waste collection and disposal services.

Baguio recorded 1,560,212 tourist arrivals in 2024, up from 1,309,930 in 2023, according to the Department of Tourism-Cordillera Administrative Region.

In April 2026, city circular economy action team architect Donna Tabangin reported that Baguio collected approximately 80,471.93 tons of waste annually and spent around ₱200 million on waste management.

Through its Pansa-nopen initiative, the city promotes waste segregation, recycling, upcycling and resource efficiency to reduce garbage requiring disposal and recover materials that can still be reused.

The sale of recovery certificates provides the city with another mechanism to support waste management while encouraging businesses to meet their environmental responsibilities.