Public health groups support upholding of incineration ban

Health groups are calling on President Rodrigo Duterte to uphold the Clean Air Act by ensuring that dirty technologies such as waste-to-energy garbage incinerators will continue to be banned in the country.

“Medical waste incinerators have been banned for 18 years in the country in compliance with the Clean Air Act. The present Covid-19 pandemic brought a surge in biomedical waste challenging waste management programs in the country. Yet incineration is definitely not an option. This demonstrates that we do not need dirty and very costly technologies which cause more harm to our health and climate,” said Dr. Paula Sta. Maria of Philippine College of Physicians.

“We need to rally to protect the integrity of the air that we breathe since our primary survival depends on it. We need to have a healthy environment, free of toxins and pollutants to win the battle against COVID-19 and other unforeseen public health concerns,” said Dr. Sta. Maria.

The Philippines is the first country to nationally ban municipal and medical waste incineration by virtue of Republic Act 8749 or Clean Air Act of 1999. In compliance with the said law, the Department of Health (DOH) phased-out and banned the use of medical waste incineration on July 16, 2003.

“Allowing again the use of incinerators will undermine years of hard work in pushing for safe and effective ecological solid waste management solutions in our cities and healthcare facilities. Incinerators are very costly to operate and it will promote further production of garbage to make it economically-viable. We should focus on waste prevention and minimization, and not through dirty technological solutions,” said Dr. Maricar Limpin of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) Philippines.

According to the pollution watchdog EcoWaste Coalition, there are various bills lodged in Congress that aim to amend the law which would then allow the promotion and use of incinerators, disguised as waste-to-energy technologies.

“We are calling on President Duterte to veto these toxic bills and instead push for priority laws that will further improve public healthcare and environment,” said Dr. Limpin.