Chapter I

INTRODUCTION

With the increasing amount of Garbage in Tarlac City particularly in Tarlac city Public Market

more cost in garbage disposal is needed to be funded by our Local Government Unit and we the

researchers come up to propose a Material Recovery Facility to minimize the garbage disposal to

be disposed to the dump site to reduce the cost per ton.

A. Background of the Study

The Material Recovery Facility (MRF) is a system where municipal is recycled by separating

and processing using mechanical and manual methods. Municipal solid waste are waste

produce by residences, institution, and business/commercial establishment. This includes

paper/food items/yard waste, thin cans, bottles, plastics but not industrial and hazardous

waste. The Material that are recover includes, plastic, papers, glass and metals which are

compress and baled, temporary stored and eventually sold to recycling and manufacturing

firms. The remaining residuals wastes are then disposed of into a sanitary landfill. MRF can

process either be source separated recyclables or mixed wastes in which case the

biodegradable components can be process into compost in a composting facility.

With the increasing number of garbage in in the City more funds is needed to be released

in order to accommodate the payment in the dumpsites.

Objectives:

 Identify the waste generated in Poblacion Tarlac City in terms of

a. Type of waste

b. Values of waste

 Propose a material recovery facility in Poblacion Tarlac City

Importance of the Study

Local Government Unit- for them to lessen the cost in garbage waste disposal

Future Researchers- it may serve as a future reference for those who are willing to conduct

related study.

Community - it can serve as a facility for them to understand more about material recovering in

their wastes

Significance of the Study:

In communities around Tarlac City, garbage disposal is very important as population

growth and the lifestyle of people changing more and more waste is being produced. The

significance of the study is to minimize the garbage waste disposal in order to reduce the weights
of the garbage to be disposed in the dump sites therefore reducing the cost and can reuse the

material recovered.

Scope and Limitation

we the researchers only covered in Poblacion Tarlac City because of limited resources

and the vast area in Tarlac City. Due to the ongoing pandemic the researchers only gathered

limited data because of the Local government unit being busy fighting and controlling this

pandemic, also because of the Enhanced Community Quaratine the researchers only interviewed

the head of City Environment and Natural Resources.

A. Review of Related Literature

1. Material Recovery Facility (MRF)

A Material Recovery Facility (MRF) accepts waste materials that may be source-separated or

mixed, separates and processes those waste materials, and stores them for later use as raw

materials for manufacturing, agriculture, and reprocessing. It is part of the Regional Waste

Management System place where the dry fraction of municipal solid waste is delivered to be

separated, processed, and temporarily stored for transport to recycling or re-manufacturing.

MRF's that receive source-separated dry materials such as paper, glass, cans, and plastics are

known as "clean MRF's" and are an integral component of any waste management system.

Material Recovery Facility can be classified as either clean or dirty MRF. Clean MRF

receives waste that is already separated and usually constructed in areas where there is a high

degree of separation at source while dirty MRF accepts mixed waste. Although the outputs are

the same, papers recovered from the latter are likely to be contaminated (Asian Development

Bank (ABD), 2013).

In terms of operation, MRF can be manually operated, semi-automated, or fully automated.

Manually operated involves manual labor in the sorting of wastes. In Semi-automated MRF,

several mechanical types of equipment like conveyors are added to help facilitate the sorting of

wastes. And Fully-automated, sorting is done by machines alone and the interaction of human

and waste are very limited (ABD, 2013)

Material Recovery Facility is an essential part of any solid waste management system. Solid

Waste Management has to do with the handling of refuse, from the point of generation through

storage, collection, transportation, recovery, and treatment process to disposal. But it is difficult

to come up with a solid waste management system that can utilize all generated biodegradable

and non-biodegradable wastes in every household or market (Malinauskaite et al., 2017). Maton

et al. (2016) argued that integrated solid waste management practices and principles of sorting of

waste at the source of generation would reduce the adverse impacts on human health while

eliminating the effects on the environment through waste reduction, reuse, and recycling. In

addition to that, Malinauskaite et al. also argued that sorting is a very important part of waste

management wherein sorted wastes can be further treated and recovered using special facilities

like MRF. Furthermore, Valderama (2013) argued that the efficiency of solid waste management

relies on the proper segregation and diversion of solid waste. The poor management of these

wastes poses a great danger not only in polluting the environment but also to human well-being

(Maton, Kigun, and Ogalla, 2016). Recycling and materials recovery is gaining more grounds

inapplicability as viable options to sustainable waste management especially in municipal solid

waste schemes (Asong, 2010). Along stated that although recycling is not well-practiced in some

areas, it will be more useful than the highly practiced dumping and landfilling because it

significantly reduces the number of wastes going to landfill and converse valuable landfill

spaces.
 3. Establishment of LGU Material Recovery Facility (MRF)

The Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 or Republic Act 9003 was created to

provide an ecological waste management program, creating the necessary institutional

mechanisms and incentives, declaring certain acts prohibited and providing penalties,

appropriating funds, therefore, and for other purposes. Section 32 of this act states that there shall

be established in Barangay through its Sanggunian. For this purpose, the barangay should

allocate a certain parcel of land for the MRF. The MRF shall receive mixed waste for final

sorting, segregation, composting, and recycling. Section 33 of this act provides guidelines and

some considerations for the establishment of a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF). It shall be

designed to receive, sort, processes, and store compostable and recyclable material efficiently

and environmentally sound manner. The facility shall address the following considerations:

a. The building and/or land layout and equipment must be designed to accommodate

efficient and safe materials processing, movement, and storage; and

b. The building must be designed to allow efficient and safe external access to

accommodate the internal flow.

In siting MRF, it is important to consider the separation distances of the facility to lessen

potential environment conflicts between non-compatible land uses and the facility and to

minimize the possibility of public complaints and environmental issues (Ryan 2010).

Accessibility, land use, and site geology also needs to be considered (ABD, 2013). The two

authors both argued that MRF shall be located away from environmentally sensitive areas like

schools, parks, hospitals, etc. In the toolkit provided by ABD, a minimum of 100 meters buffer

zone is suggested to be used in those areas. MRF's shall not be located in flood-prone areas and

in sloping areas which will require additional excavation cost and to avoid slope stability

problems. It should be located near transportation materials and provide for easy access and

egress. Furthermore, MRF should be located near population centers and collection sources.

(Patrick Engineering, 2010).

5. Safety Inside the MRF

The safety of workers inside the MRF is one of the major concerns during its operation.

Since the processes involve direct contact between workers and the waste material, it imposes a

greater risk of acquiring injuries. According to Berg Mill Supply Company, the most common

health and safety risks faced by recycling workers include exposure to harmful chemicals and

biological substances as well as exposure to sharp objects like broken glass, nails, sharp metals,

and wood shards. Also moving vehicles can put workers at risk of being struck or run over. The
dust produced from waste and recyclable materials can have serious health consequences

because it may contain micro-particles of plastics, glass, bio-hazards, and other toxic substances.

Furthermore, the risk for musculoskeletal disorders and injuries may be experienced while

sorting materials. Noise also contributes to the risks faced by workers inside the MRF as it can

cause irreversible hearing damage as stated by the Health and Safety Executive. In the study by

Baltazar et al. (2015), it was recommended that to reduce musculoskeletal disorders and injuries,

hire additional workers to work in the shift to lessen the frequency of repetitive actions made by

the current number of workers because repetitive actions in sorting are one of the common cause

of muscle and skeletal injuries. Avoid direct contact with hazardous waste. Separate wastes that

contain chemicals and do not store these materials where it can explode and cause fires. Since

personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves, face masks, and proper work attire is

already available, the facilities should become stricter with their regulations regarding safety and

impose the use of PPE's during work hours. Provide guardrails to the machines, especially the

bio-reactor used in processing waste materials. Also, put barriers or fences or warning signs

around the compost pit. Provide at least one fire extinguisher per facility in case of accidents

involving fire and train employees regarding safety measures.

B. Synthesis

Mismanagement of solid wastes can lead to serious health and environmental problems. The

Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 was crafted to

prevent the looming garbage problems in every community through the participation and

cooperation of Local Government Units (LGUs). The provisions of the act include the

establishment of MRF in every barangay, cluster of barangays or city to receive, sort, processes,

and store compostable and recyclable material efficiently and in an environmentally sound
manner. Since not all communities, like Tarlac (Tarlac Poblacion Market), have their own

established MRF, this gave the researchers the enthusiasm to design an MRF for Tarlac

Poblacion Market as well as to provide the necessary procedures in operating the MRF. For the

MRF to be effective, it should have the following floor areas: receiving or tipping area;

sorting/processing area; storage area for recyclables; residuals storage area; equipment area;

space for an office; and loading area for residuals and processed recyclables. The size of MRF

will be determined from those floor areas.

Municipal/City Level

Segregation Collection

Waste Junkyards/ Gardens/Farms

transport solid waste every day. The segregation collection they will segregate the waste by its

types ( compostable, recyclable, residual), then after the segregation, the waste will put in the

MRF (Material Recovery Facilities) that the recyclable will be stored in the facilities or the

junkyard stores, while the decomposable waste will be used in gardens and farms for fertilizer.

D. Definition of Terms

1. Asian Development Bank (ABD) - is a regional development bank established on

December 19, 1966. To promote social and economic development in Asia.

2. Solid Waste Management - Solid waste management includes the activities and actions

required to manage waste from its inception to its final disposal. This includes the

collection, transport, treatment, and disposal of waste, together with monitoring and

regulation of the waste management process.

3. Local Government Unit - LGUs, are divided into three levels - provinces and

independent cities; components cities, municipalities, and barangays.