Republic Act No.

9003
Ecological Solid
Waste Management
Act
Ecological Solid Waste
Management Act
provides the legal framework for the countrys
systematic, comprehensive and ecological solid
waste management program that shall ensure
protection of public health and the
environment. It underscores, among other
things, the need to create the necessary
institutional mechanisms and incentives, as well
as imposes penalties for acts in violation of any
of its provisions.
The implementing rules and regulations of R.A. No.
9003 --DENR Administrative Order No. 2001-34
Section 2. Purpose
These Rules are promulgated to prescribe the procedures and
guidelines for the implementation of the Philippine Solid Waste
Management Act of 9003 in order to facilitate compliance
therewith and achieve the objectives thereof.
Section 3. Scope
These Rules shall lay down the powers and functions of the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the
Department of Trade and Industry, all other concerned agencies
and local government units, the rights and obligations of236
stakeholders and the rights and duties of the people with respect to
the implementation of the Ecological Solid Waste Management.
The implementing rules and regulations of R.A. No.
9003 --DENR Administrative Order No. 2001-34
Section 4. Construction
These Implementing Rules and Regulations shall be liberally construed to
carry out the national policy of adopting a systematic, comprehensive and
ecological solid waste management program consistent with the pursuit of
sustainable development. The Rules also cover support actions such as
research and studies on solid wastes, providing technical standards and
guidelines for effective waste management systems.

Section 5. Administrative and Enforcement.
These Rules and Regulations shall be administered by the Secretary or his
duly authorized representative or through any other department, bureau,
office, agency, local government units, state university or college and other
instrumentalities of the government for assistance in the form of personnel,
facilities and other resources as the need arises in the discharge of its
functions.
RULE II. DECLARATION OF STATE
POLICY
Section 1. Declaration of Policies
It is the policy of the State to adopt a systematic, comprehensive
and ecological solid waste management program which shall:

a) Ensure the protection of public health and environment;

b) Utilize environmentally-sound methods that maximize the utilization of
valuable resources and encourage resources conservation and recovery;

c) Set guidelines and targets for solid waste avoidance and volume
reduction through source reduction and waste minimization measures,
including composting, recycling, re-use, recovery, green charcoal
process, and others, before collection, treatment and disposal in
appropriate and environmentally-sound solid waste management
facilities in accordance with ecologically sustainable development
principles;

RULE II. DECLARATION OF STATE
POLICY
d) Ensure the proper segregation, collection, transport, storage,
treatment and disposal of solid waste through the formulation
and adoption of the best environmental practices in ecological
waste management excluding incineration;

e) Promote national research and development programs for
improved solid waste management and resource conservation
techniques, more effective institutional arrangement and
indigenous and improved methods of waste reduction, collection,
separation and recovery;

f) Encourage greater private sector participation in solid waste
management;


RULE II. DECLARATION OF STATE
POLICY

g) Retain primary enforcement and responsibility of solid waste
management with local government units while establishing a
cooperative effort among the national government, other local
government units, non-government organizations, and the private
sector;

h) Encourage cooperation and self-regulation among waste
generators through the application of market-based instruments;

i) Institutionalize public participation in the development and
implementation of national and local integrated, comprehensive
and ecological waste management programs; and

j) Strengthen the integration of ecological solid waste management
and resource conservation and recovery topics into the academic
curricula of formal and non-formal education in order to promote
environmental awareness and action among the citizenry.
salient features of R.A. No. 9003
a) Creation of the National Solid Waste Management Commission
(NSWMC), the National Ecology Center (NEC) and the Solid Waste
Management Board in every province, city and municipality in the
country.

The NSWMC shall be responsible in the formulation of the National Solid
Waste Management Framework and other policies on solid waste, in
overseeing the implementation of solid waste management plans and the
management of the solid waste management fund.

The NEC, on the other hand, shall be responsible for consulting, information,
training and networking services relative to the implementation of R.A.No.
9003.

The Solid Waste Management Board of provinces, cities and municipalities
shall be responsible for the development of their respective solid waste
management plans.
salient features of R.A. No. 9003
b) Formulation of the National Solid Waste Management
Framework; 10-year solid management plans by local government
units consistent with the National Solid Waste Management
Framework;

c) Mandatory segregation of solid waste to be conducted primarily
at the source such as household, institutional, industrial,
commercial and agricultural sources;

d) Setting of minimum requirements to ensure systematic collection
and transport of wastes and the proper protection of the health of
garbage collectors;

e) Establishment of reclamation programs and buy-back centers for
recyclable and toxic materials;

salient features of R.A. No. 9003
f) Promotion of eco-labeling in local products and services;

g) Prohibition on non-environmentally acceptable products and packaging;

h) Establishment of Materials Recovery Facility in every barangay or cluster
of barangays;

i) Prohibition against the use of open dumps;

j) Setting of guidelines/criteria for the establishment of controlled dumps
and sanitary landfills;

k) Provision of rewards, incentives both fiscal and non-fiscal, financial
assistance, grants and the like to encourage LGUs and the general public
to undertake effective solid waste management; and

l) Promotion of research on solid waste management and environmental
education in the formal and non-formal sectors.
Ways on how to solve the solid waste
problem
There are many ways to do it.

A highly recommended formula is to adopt the
3Rs of Ecological Waste Management:
REDUCE,
REUSE, AND
RECYCLE.
Ways on how to solve the solid waste
problem
In addition to that, let us refrain from doing what have been prohibited
under the law, to include but are not limited to the following:

a) Littering, throwing, dumping of waste materials in public places
like roads, sidewalks, canals, esteros, parks and establishments;

b) Open burning of solid waste;

c) Allowing the collection of non-segregated or unsorted waste;

d) Squatting in open dumps and landfills;

e) Open dumping or burying of biodegradable and non-
biodegradable materials in flood-prone areas;

Ways on how to solve the solid waste
problem
f) Unauthorized removal of recyclable material intended for
collection by authorized persons;

g) Mixing of source-separated recyclable material with other solid
waste in any vehicle, box, container or receptacle used in solid
waste collection or disposal;

h) Manufacture, distribution or use of non-environmentally
acceptable packaging materials;

i) Establishment or operation of open dumps; and

j) Importation of consumer products packaged in non-
environmentally acceptable materials.