Toxic watchdog welcomes DOH's plan to conduct probe on lead-tainted toys

The EcoWaste Coalition, an advocate for children’s health and safety from harmful chemicals, welcomed the plan of the Department of Health (DOH) to conduct its own probe on wooden toys that were tested with high levels of lead, a neurotoxin.

Reacting to the EcoWaste Coalition’s toxic toy investigation, the DOH last Thursday told the EcoWaste Coalition they will get samples of the lead-tainted toys and have them analyzed for lead.

"If a toy tested positive with high levels of lead, we will issue a letter to the toy manufacturer or distributor for them to recall the said product," said Engr. Renato Ongkoy, Division Head of the DOH's Center for Device Regulation, Radiation Health and Research as he assured the group of the department's commitment to protect children from lead exposure.

“We welcome this pronouncement made by the DOH. As a precautionary action, we further urge our health authorities to immediately stop the sale of the lead-tainted toys until a new analysis has proven them safe for children 12 years and under,” said Roy Alvarez, EcoWaste Coalition president.

Last Tuesday, the EcoWaste Coalition revealed that six of the 11 imported and locally produced toys that it bought from registered shops and sent to the University of Cincinnati in Ohio, USA, for laboratory analysis using atomic absorption spectroscopy were found to contain elevated quantities of lead.

One sample, a colorful nautilus puzzle made by a Cebu-based toy manufacturer had lead levels between 6,039 to 45,671 parts per million (ppm), which is way above the 90 ppm "maximum allowable total lead content" for children's products under the US Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008.

The other toy samples with parts loaded with lead include a wooden ornamental pin with one part containing up to 20,740 ppm lead; a tractor with wagon with lead concentrations between 2,055 and 11,764 ppm; another pin with two parts having 4,101 and 4,888 ppm lead; a “learn to count” puzzle with lead levels up to 152 ppm; and a barnyard puzzle with one part having 95 ppm lead.

Toxicologist Dr. Bessie Antonio of the East Avenue Medical Center, who spoke at the launch of the test results, identified a range of health problems linked with children’s exposure to lead such as the damage to the brain and the nervous system.

Other problems associated with lead poisoning include speech and language handicaps and other developmental delays, low intelligence quotient and other learning disabilities and disorders, attention deficit disorder and other behavioral problems, reduced bone and muscle growth, etc.

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FDA to monitor toys more closely for high lead content

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the Department of Health (DOH) assured the public on Thursday that it is monitoring toys in the market to make sure these do not contain hazardous materials and substances.

The FDA issued the assurance after environmental and health advocacy group EcoWaste Coalition reported on Tuesday that six out of 11 painted toys they had tested had high levels of lead.

The group then urged DOH to strengthen the enforcement of Administrative Order (AO) 2007-0032, which regulates the issuance of 'License to Operate' to companies that manufacture, import and distribute toys.

In its statement, FDA Acting Director Dr. Suzette Lazo said the FDA regularly conducts compliance monitoring of establishments. She also said the FDA does market surveillance of toy products, purchasing toys from stores and testing the toys for hazardous substances.

The FDA said the toys will be tested for the following requirements:

# Safety aspects related to mechanical and physical properties;
# Flammability; and
# Migration of certain elements

Non-compliant toys are subject to recall and are disposed of, it said.

Lazo added that samples collected and tested in December 2010 passed the safety standards.

The statement also said the FDA will ensure that all manufacturers comply with the labeling and packaging requirements of the said AO. Cautionary statements and warnings should also be written in English or Filipino, the statement said.

It also said the minimum age for intended use should be written in visible, legible and indelible form.

The FDA advised parents to check the following when buying toys for their children:

# Check labels on the packaging and observe precautions appearing in the labels;

# Ensure that the child's toys are suited for his or her age and are used under adult supervision;

# Dispose plastic packaing accordingly; and

# For children under three years old, avoid toys that are small, have sharp edges, easily break and have electrical parts.

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LGUs urged to step up declogging operations as typhoon Chedeng nears

As the country braces for typhoon Chedeng, a waste and pollution watchdog urged local government units (LGUs) to declog storm drains and creeks to ease flood risk.

The EcoWaste Coalition made the appeal as Chedeng further gains strength and threatens to dump rains in many parts of the country, including Metro Manila.

“We urge local authorities, as well as neighborhood associations, to remove garbage and other debris in waterways that can worsen the flood situation, especially in flood-prone areas,” said Roy Alvarez, President, EcoWaste Coalition.

“Whether Chedeng will change its course and hit Metro Manila or not, it’s important for all canals and creeks to be garbage-free to prevent localized flash floods after downpours,” he added.

“It’s better for our communities to be ready rather than be caught flatfooted by floods,” he emphasized.

The EcoWaste Coalition reminded the public to recall the “epic floods” of Ondoy and fulfill one's environmental responsibility to minimize the effects of nature’s wrath.

“Environmental discipline is necessary to keep our waterways garbage-free,” Alvarez said.

Towards this, the EcoWaste Coalition urged the public, especially Metro Manila’s over two million households to reduce their waste size, shun littering and dumping, and to separate their discards at source for reusing, recycling and composting.

“By cutting our waste size and safely managing our discards, we avoid turning our streets and rivers into dumping sites and flood ponds after heavy rains,” he added.

Among the high flood risk areas as identified by the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), the EcoWaste Coalition said these include Sampaloc and Rizal Avenue corner R. Papa in Manila; Makati Diversion Channel along South Superhighway and Buendia Avenue in Makati City.

Also considered as flood-prone areas are Maysilo Circle, Boni Avenue, Panaderos Street, Kalentong Street, Acacia Lane and Shaw Boulevard, all in Mandaluyong City; Barangay Salapan and Bagong Bato in San Juan City; and Barangays Imelda, Damayang Lagi, Tatalon and Talayan in Quezon City.

Aside from enforcing the salient provisions of R.A. 9003, the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, the EcoWaste Coalition also urged LGUs to rehabilitate drainage facilities in their respective areas, noting that some canals are heavily silted or have collapsed in the course of time.

“A systematic rehabilitation of our aging drainage system will go a long way in reducing destruction to life and property caused by flood woes,” the EcoWaste Coalition said.

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Toxic Watchdog Finds Brain Poison in Toys

Toys with lead can damage children’s brains and their future

The EcoWaste Coalition, an advocate for chemical safety awareness and action, made this statement as it pointed to the high levels of lead, a neurotoxin, in some wooden toys sold in the domestic market.

At a press conference held today in Quezon City, environmental and health advocates led by actress Chin-Chin Gutierrez drew attention to the alarming concentrations of lead, a nerve and brain poison, in some children’s toys.

“Our investigation confirms the disturbing quantities of lead in some painted wooden toys that can harm our children’s smaller and still growing brains and bodies instead of providing them with educational and recreational benefits,” said Gutierrez, who is also a Steering Committee member of the EcoWaste Coalition.

“We urge the authorities to take tough actions to rid the toys market of lead-tainted products, including recalling toys that are unfit and unsafe for children’s use. We can and we must prevent lead poisoning of our children from toys,” she pleaded.

Toys purchased in past years still present a health risk to children and may even become more dangerous as the paint tends to become chipped and loose with time, the EcoWaste Coalition also emphasized.

Six of the 11 imported and locally-produced wooden toys bought by the EcoWaste Coalition and sent to the University of Cincinnati in Ohio, USA for laboratory analysis using atomic absorption spectroscopy were found to contain high levels of lead, the group reported.

A colourful nautilus jigsaw puzzle made in the Philippines tested with the highest amounts of lead in 14 of its component parts with lead levels between 6,039 to 45,671 ppm.

The other toy samples with parts loaded with lead include a wooden ornamental pin with one part containing up to 20,740 ppm lead; a tractor with wagon with lead concentrations between 2,055 and 11,764 ppm; another pin with two parts having 4,101 and 4,888 ppm lead; a “learn to count” puzzle with lead levels up to 152 ppm; and a barnyard puzzle with one part having 95 ppm lead.

As a reference value, the EcoWaste Coalition cited the maximum allowable total lead content of 90 ppm for children’s products, including toys, under the US Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, with a caveat from health experts that there really is no safe ceiling for lead exposure in children.

Speaking at the press conference, toxicologist Dr. Bessie Antonio of the East Avenue Medical Center identified a range of health problems linked with children’s exposure to lead, including damage to the brain and the nervous system, speech and language handicaps and other developmental delays, low intelligence quotient and other learning disabilities and disorders, attention deficit disorder and other behavioral problems, reduced bone and muscle growth, etc.

For his part, Thony Dizon, Coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition’s Project PROTECT (People Responding and Organizing against Toxic Chemical Threats), outlined several action points addressed to key government departments.

1. For the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to issue a health-based Chemical Control Order for the elimination of lead-added paints and articles to curb childhood exposure to lead.

2. For the Department of Health to strengthen the enforcement of DOH Administrative Order 2007-0032 regulating the issuance of license to operate to companies that manufacture, import or distribute toys for the local market, to test toys for lead and to initiate the recall of lead-contaminated toys.

3. For the Department of Education to screen donations of toys and school supplies for DepEd’s K+12 Basic Education Program, and also to order the compulsory use of lead-free paints in school painting and re-painting activities.

4. For the Department of Trade and Industry to review the Philippine National Standards (PNS) for toys to prohibit the production, importation, distribution and sale of toys and other children’s articles loaded with lead and other chemicals of concern such as phthalates.

5. For the Department of Finance through the Bureau of Customs to exert all measures to stop the entry of untested, unlabelled and unregistered toys from overseas.

The EcoWaste Coalition also urged the government to ask toy manufacturers to examine the lead content of items that they have sold in the past and also include them in the recall if found to contain lead.

Toys can last for some time and pose a health hazard for as long as they are accessible to children. In fact, as the toys age they are more likely to have their paint become loose, be more available to kids and thus contribute to lead exposure.

To illustrate the magnitude of this toxic challenge, the EcoWaste Coalition said that the US Consumer Product Safety Commission issued 137 recall orders from 2007 to 2009 for over 10 million imported toys due to high lead content.

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High-tech landfill in San Mateo ready to process garbage from Metro Manila

A 19-hectare sanitary landfill in San Mateo, Rizal, which was earlier met with opposition and complaints, opened over the weekend.

Andy Santiago, president of San Mateo Landfill and Development Corp. (SMLDC), which operates the facility, said the landfill, which uses state-of-the-art technology, was ready to accommodate and process garbage coming from Metro Manila.

The construction of the P300-million sanitary landfill located at Barangay (village) Pintong Bukawe had been opposed by a real-estate developer and environmental groups because it allegedly violated environment regulations and had encroached on a watershed area.

Cases were later filed with some dismissed and several others pending in court, Santiago said.

An environment compliance certificate issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), however, gave SMLDC the green light to start operating the facility.

In 2009 and 2010, it began handling the garbage of residents of San Mateo and Cainta, respectively.

Dubbed as the “hi-tech recycle bin of residual waste,” the sanitary landfill was launched on Saturday with Rizal Governor Jun Ynares, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Francis Tolentino and DENR regional officials in attendance.

Santiago explained that the new San Mateo landfill was different from other landfills in the country for it would soon have the refuse derived fuel facility (RDF), which converts waste into fuel for cement production.

“We are considering a lot of ways to minimize landfilling. [Through] the RDF, the residual waste would be down by 60 percent,” he said.

The landfill also has leachate holding ponds, a water-treatment facility that produces clean water to grow fish and plants and a material recovery facility that recycles garbage.

In addition, it has a 1,000-square-meter greenhouse plantation, a bike trail and gazebos that can be used as viewing decks.

Santiago stressed that the Rizal provincial government and the San Mateo municipality had been benefiting from the landfill without shelling out a single cent.

He said that the two local governments get 25 percent of the tipping fees that the SMLDC collects from processing wastes.

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Group warns vs high lead levels in toys

Made and imported wooden toys have been found to contain high levels of lead, a neurotoxin that can cause brain damage, a chemical safety advocacy group said on Tuesday.

Six of the 11 imported and locally-produced toys it bought last year and later sent abroad for laboratory analysis showed "the disturbing quantities of lead in some painted wooden toys," the EcoWaste Coalition said in a statement.

High quantities of the substance "can harm our children's smaller and still growing brains and bodies instead of providing them with educational and recreational benefits," the group's statement said, citing one of its members, actress Chin-Chin Gutierrez.

"We urge the authorities to take tough actions to rid the toys market of lead-tainted products, including recalling toys that are unfit and unsafe for children's use. We can and we must prevent lead poisoning of our children from toys," said Gutierrez, who is also a Steering Committee member of the EcoWaste Coalition.

Toys can last for some time and pose a health hazard for as long as they are accessible to children. As the toys age, they are more likely to have their paint become loose and thereby be more available to kids and contribute to lead exposure.

A Philippine-made colorful nautilus jigsaw puzzle which was tested using atomic absorption spectroscopy in the University of Cincinnati in Ohio, USA was found to contain the highest amounts of lead in 14 of its component parts with lead levels between 6,039 to 45,671 parts per million.

Other toy samples with parts loaded with lead include a wooden ornamental pin with one part containing up to 20,740 ppm lead; a tractor with wagon with lead concentrations between 2,055 and 11,764 ppm; another pin with two parts having 4,101 and 4,888 ppm lead; a "learn to count" puzzle with lead levels up to 152 ppm; and a barnyard puzzle with one part having 95 ppm lead.

The maximum allowable total lead content is at 90 ppm for children's products, including toys, the group said, citing the US Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008.

But at the same time, the Coalition cited health experts who say that there really is no safe ceiling for lead exposure in children.

During a press conference it held Tuesday, toxicologist Dr. Bessie Antonio of the East Avenue Medical Center identified a range of health problems linked with children's exposure to lead, including damage to the brain and the nervous system, speech and language handicaps and other developmental delays, low intelligence quotient and other learning disabilities and disorders, attention deficit disorder and other behavioral problems, reduced bone and muscle growth, etc.

For his part, Thony Dizon, Coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition's Project Protect (People Responding and Organizing against Toxic Chemical Threats), outlined several action points addressed to key government departments.

It asked the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to issue a health-based Chemical Control Order for the elimination of lead-added paints and articles to curb childhood exposure to lead.

It also sought the Department of Health's cooperation in strengthening the enforcement of DOH Administrative Order 2007-0032. The order regulates the issuance of license to operate to companies that manufacture, import, or distribute toys for the local market, to test toys for lead and to initiate the recall of lead-contaminated toys.

Similarly, it appealed to the Department of Education to screen donations of toys and school supplies for DepEd's K+12 Basic Education Program, and also to order the compulsory use of lead-free paints in school painting and re-painting activities.

The group also said that the Department of Trade and Industry should review the Philippine National Standards (PNS) for toys to prohibit the production, importation, distribution and sale of toys and other children's articles loaded with lead and other chemicals of concern such as phthalates.

The Department of Finance through the Bureau of Customs should exert all measures to stop the entry of untested, unlabelled, and unregistered toys from overseas.

The EcoWaste Coalition also urged the government to ask toy manufacturers to examine the lead content of items that they have sold in the past and also include them in the recall if found to contain lead.

To illustrate the magnitude of this toxic challenge, the EcoWaste Coalition said that the US Consumer Product Safety Commission issued 137 recall orders from 2007 to 2009 for over 10 million imported toys due to high lead content.

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EcoWaste Coalition finds brain poison in toys

The EcoWaste Coalition, an advocate for chemical safety awareness and action, has warned the high levels of lead, a neurotoxin, in some wooden toys sold in the domestic market.

At a press conference held Tuesday in Quezon City, environmental and health advocates led by actress Chin-Chin Gutierrez drew attention to the alarming concentrations of lead, a nerve and brain poison, in some children’s toys.

“Our investigation confirms the disturbing quantities of lead in some painted wooden toys that can harm our children’s smaller and still growing brains and bodies instead of providing them with educational and recreational benefits,” said Gutierrez, who is also a Steering Committee member of the EcoWaste Coalition.

“We urge the authorities to take tough actions to rid the toys market of lead-tainted products, including recalling toys that are unfit and unsafe for children’s use. We can and we must prevent lead poisoning of our children from toys,” she said.

Toys purchased in past years still present a health risk to children and may even become more dangerous as the paint tends to become chipped and loose with time, the EcoWaste Coalition also said.

Six of the 11 imported and locally-produced wooden toys bought by the EcoWaste Coalition and sent to the University of Cincinnati in Ohio, USA for laboratory analysis using atomic absorption spectroscopy were found to contain high levels of lead, the group reported.

A colorful nautilus jigsaw puzzle made in the Philippines tested with the highest amounts of lead in 14 of its component parts with lead levels between 6,039 to 45,671 ppm.

The other toy samples with parts loaded with lead include a wooden ornamental pin with one part containing up to 20,740 ppm lead; a tractor with wagon with lead concentrations between 2,055 and 11,764 ppm; another pin with two parts having 4,101 and 4,888 ppm lead; a “learn to count” puzzle with lead levels up to 152 ppm; and a barnyard puzzle with one part having 95 ppm lead.

As a reference value, the EcoWaste Coalition cited the maximum allowable total lead content of 90 ppm for children’s products, including toys, under the US Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, with a caveat from health experts that there really is no safe ceiling for lead exposure in children.

Speaking at the press conference, toxicologist Dr. Bessie Antonio of the East Avenue Medical Center identified a range of health problems linked with children’s exposure to lead, including damage to the brain and the nervous system, speech and language handicaps and other developmental delays, low intelligence quotient and other learning disabilities and disorders, attention deficit disorder and other behavioral problems, reduced bone and muscle growth, etc.

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DepEd urged to inspect donated toys

A group has called on the Department of Education (DepEd) to conduct thorough toxin tests on toys donated for kindergarten pupils, in response to an earlier appeal that student in public schools should be given such playthings.

EcoWaste Coalition, with its PROTECT (People Responding and Organizing against Toxic Chemical Threats) project, urged the DepEd to check on health-threatening chemicals found in toys as children are more at risk to such toxic exposure.

“DepEd should take all precautionary measures to shield and save children from unsafe toys… We should not let our guards down knowing that children are most prone to chemical and other hazards,” the group's coordinator Thony Dizon said in a statement.

Dizon explained that children are more sensitive to toxic exposure due to their frequent hand-to-mouth and object-to-mouth activities.

Children have yet to fully develop their immunity system and other vital systems, he added.

Dizon suggested the DepEd to “come out with health-based criteria on what toys can be donated and received.”

EcoWaste Coalition, which has been critical on removing hazardous chemicals found in toys, recently came out with a study saying 6 out of 7 plastic toys bought in prominent marketplace Divisoria are toxic.

Based on its December 2010 study, the group said these toys have toxic plastic additives called phthalates.

EcoWaste Coalition has also sent painted wooden toys to the US for testing and later found that some of the samples have high levels of lead.

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Beware of toxic school supplies

As the resumption of classes draws near, green advocates advised shoppers not to buy goods made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or plastic that poses chemical risks to human health and environment.

EcoWaste Coalition, a group promoting chemical safety awareness and action, asked shoppers to abstain from buying goods made of PVC, also known as vinyl or plastic number “3,” which are loaded with many additives that can transfer into the environment and pose risk to human health.

Thony Dizon, coordinator of the EcoWaste’s Project PROTECT (People Responding and Organizing against Toxic Chemical Threats), explained that “one of the additives of concern is a family of industrial chemicals called phthalates, which are added to PVC plastics to make them softer, more flexible and durable,” he said.

“To minimize children’s exposure to chemical poisons in school supplies, we urge parents to assert their lawful rights as consumers to demand for complete product information and for safe products without hazardous contents such as phthalates,” he said.

To prevent children’s exposure to phthalates, EcoWaste has adopted several tips from the US–based Center for Health, Environment and Justice to avoid PVC school supplies.

EcoWaste advised shoppers to avoid modeling polymer clays made of PVC, backpacks with shiny plastic designs as they often contain PVC and may contain lead, plastic lunch boxes that are made of or line with PVC, and notebooks containing metal spirals encased in colored plastic; look for PVC-free materials in rainwear (i.e. rain boots and raincoats), prints on clothing, accessories such as handbags, jewelry and belts, shiny and colorful plastic umbrellas as these are typically made out of PVC, and single-use disposable packaging, or those marked PVC or plastic number 3, whenever possible.

Likewise, EcoWaste asked parents to buy PVC-free butcher paper, waxed paper, parchment paper, low density polyethylene (LDPE) or cellulose bags; use stainless steel utensils; choose organizers/ address books made with sustainably harvested wood, metal, or paper covers; stick to the plain metal paperclips; and use cardboard, fabric-covered, or polypropylene binders.

Dizon noted that five common school supplies bought by EcoWaste in May 2010 and sent to Taiwan for laboratory analysis were found to contain high levels of di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate or DEHP, a suspected human carcinogen

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Parents reminded again on toxic school supplies

A toxic watchdog on Wednesday advised shoppers anew to be careful with school supplies that contain harmful substances.

The EcoWaste Coalition specifically suggested to back-to-school shoppers to abstain from buying goods made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), also known as vinyl or plastic number “3”.

The group said PVC products are loaded with many additives that can transfer into the environment, posing chemical risks to humans, especially to young children.

To minimize children’s exposure to chemical poisons in school supplies, EcoWaste urged parents to demand for complete product information and for safe products without hazardous contents such as phthalates.

Numerous studies in animals and humans have linked phthalates to serious ailments, such as endocrine disorders, reproductive abnormalities, asthma, kidney damage and liver cancer.

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Toxic watchdog urges consumers to watch out for unsafe school supplies

A toxic watchdog advised shoppers to be careful with school supplies that can leach harmful substances.

The EcoWaste Coalition, a group promoting chemical safety awareness and action, issued the advice as parents prepare their shopping lists of “must have” items in time for the resumption of classes next month.

The coalition specifically suggested to back-to-school shoppers to abstain from buying goods made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), also known as vinyl or plastic number “3.”

“PVC products are loaded with many additives that can transfer into the environment, posing chemical risks to humans, especially to young children, and, as a precautionary measure, must be avoided,” said Thony Dizon, coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition’s Project PROTECT (People Responding and Organizing against Toxic Chemical Threats).

“One of the additives of concern is a family of industrial chemicals called phthalates, which are added to PVC plastics to make them softer, more flexible and durable,” he said.

“To minimize children’s exposure to chemical poisons in school supplies, we urge parents to assert their lawful rights as consumers to demand for complete product information and for safe products without hazardous contents such as phthalates,” he added.

Dizon recalled that five common school supplies bought by the EcoWaste Coalition in May 2010 and sent to Taiwan for laboratory analysis were found to contain high levels of di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate or DEHP, a suspected human carcinogen.

Found to contain elevated levels of DEHP were a green long plastic envelope (19.881 percent DEHP), a PVC plastic book cover (18.997 percent DEHP), a PVC notebook cover (18.543 percent DEHP), a PVC plastic lunch bag and a PVC bagpack (both with 17.120 percent DEHP).

As per US Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, the limit for DEHP and five other phthalates is 0.1% of any children's product for ages 12 and under.

Numerous studies in animals and humans have linked phthalates to serious ailments such as endocrine disorders, reproductive abnormalities, asthma, kidney damage and liver cancer, causing the European Union in 2005 and the United States in 2008 to take action by prohibiting six types of phthalates in children’s toys and products.

To prevent children’s exposure to phthalates, the EcoWaste Coalition has adopted the following tips for avoiding PVC school supplies from the US-based Center for Health, Environment and Justice:

1. Art Supplies: Avoid modeling polymer clays made of PVC .

2. Backpacks: Avoid backpacks with shiny plastic designs as they often contain PVC and may contain lead.

3. Clothing and Accessories: Look for PVC-free materials in rainwear (i.e. rain boots and raincoats), prints on clothing, and accessories such as handbags, jewelry and belts.

4. Food Wrap: Use PVC-free butcher paper, waxed paper, parchment paper, low density polyethylene (LDPE) or cellulose bags.

5. Lunchboxes: Avoid plastic lunch boxes that are made of or line with PVC. Use cloth lunch bags or metal lunchboxes.

6. Utensils and Dishware: Use stainless steel utensils.

7. Notebooks: Avoid notebooks containing metal spirals encased in colored plastic. The colored plastic coating on the metal spirals usually contains PVC. Select notebooks with uncovered metal spirals to avoid PVC.

8. Organizers and Address Books: Choose organizers/ address books made with sustainably harvested wood, metal, or paper covers. Avoid those made of plastic – these sometimes contain PVC.

9. Packaging of School Supplies: Avoid single-use disposable packaging, or those marked PVC or plastic number 3, whenever possible. Avoid products packaged in unlabeled plastics, such as clamshells and blister packs, which may contain PVC. Choose products with packaging made from more easily recycled materials like paper or cardboard.

10. Paperclips: Stick to the plain metal paperclips. Colored paper clips are coated with PVC.

11. Three-Ring Binders: Use cardboard, fabric-covered, or polypropylene binders. Most 3-ring binders are made of PVC.

12. Umbrellas: Avoid shiny and colorful plastic umbrellas as these are typically made out of PVC. Look for those made out of other materials such as nylon.

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Waste Prevention in Schools

AS schools get ready for the opening of the new academic year, a pollution watchdog has urged the Department of Education (DepEd) to push the country’s 55,230 public and private elementary and secondary schools to go for “Zero Waste.”

The EcoWaste Coalition specifically requested Education Secretary Armin Luistro, FSC, to issue a memorandum that will remind school administrators to put in place appropriate policies and systems for reducing and managing school discards. The last time the education department issued a reminder on the implementation of ecological solid waste management in schools, observed the EcoWaste Coalition, was in 2001 during the term of then Secretary Andrew Gonzalez, FSC.

The EcoWaste Coalition said the country is not lacking in model schools in both public and private sectors that can provide aspiring educational institutions with practical knowledge on how to “green” their schools.

The group cited the grand winners of the “National Search for Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Schools,” namely, the Peñablanca East Central Elementary School in Peñablanca, Cagayan, La Castellana National High School in La Castellana, Negros Occidental, and Palawan State University in Puerto Princesa; the recipients of the “Dark Green School” label from the Environmental Education Network of the Philippines such as the De La Salle University- Dasmariñas, Cavite, Miriam College in Quezon City and Visayas State University in Baybay, Leyte; and the Cavite Institute in Silang, Cavite, which the World Bank cited for its innovative recycling for scholarship program.

“We hope to see more schools becoming centers of excellence in terms of eliminating garbage and promoting environmental stewardship and action among our students and citizens,” said Roy Alvarez, president, EcoWaste Coalition. “Zero waste resource management will contribute to a healthy and socially-responsible school system that will not add to the 35,000 tons of trash that the whole country generates each day,” he emphasized.

Alvarez recalled that DECS Memorandum No. 33-2001 provided for the monitoring of school implementation of ecological solid waste management, including the promotion of “sorting-at-source,” the “use of recycled materials” and “banning any form of open burning.”

“Now is the best time for DepEd to reiterate school involvement on Zero Waste resource management as this will complement the government’s national green agenda, particularly in preventing and reducing trash,” said Christina Vergara, Zero Waste campaigner, EcoWaste Coalition.

“The memorandum can also include attractive incentives for schools to enforce and shine in ecological waste management, including morale-boosting commendations for practicing schools,” she added

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Toxic watchdog urges consumers to be wary of unsafe school supplies

As parents prepare their shopping lists of “must have” items in time for the resumption of classes, a toxic watchdog today advised shoppers to be careful with school supplies that can leach harmful substances.

The EcoWaste Coalition, a group promoting chemical safety awareness and action, specifically suggested to back-to-school shoppers to abstain from buying goods made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), also known as vinyl or plastic number “3”.

“PVC products are loaded with many additives that can transfer into the environment, posing chemical risks to humans, especially to young children, and, as a precautionary measure, must be avoided,” said Thony Dizon, coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition’s Project PROTECT (People Responding and Organizing against Toxic Chemical Threats).

“One of the additives of concern is a family of industrial chemicals called phthalates, which are added to PVC plastics to make them softer, more flexible and durable,” he pointed out.

“To minimize children’s exposure to chemical poisons in school supplies, we urge parents to assert their lawful rights as consumers to demand for complete product information and for safe products without hazardous contents such as phthalates,” he said.

Dizon recalled that five common school supplies bought by the EcoWaste Coalition in May 2010 and sent to Taiwan for laboratory analysis were found to contain high levels of di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate or DEHP, a suspected human carcinogen.

Found to contain elevated levels of DEHP were a green long plastic envelope (19.881 percent DEHP), a PVC plastic book cover (18.997 percent DEHP), a PVC notebook cover (18.543 percent DEHP), a PVC plastic lunch bag and a PVC bagpack (both with 17.120 percent DEHP).

As per US Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, the limit for DEHP and five other phthalates is 0.1% of any children’s product for ages 12 and under.

The EcoWaste Coalition’s toxic findings prompted then Education Secretary Mona Valisno to promise a probe on the toxic contents of school supplies.

“We are not sure if the Department of Education was able to conduct its own investigation as promised by then Secretary Valisno. If they did, we request them to publicize their findings,” Dizon said.

Numerous studies in animals and humans have linked phthalates to serious ailments such as endocrine disorders, reproductive abnormalities, asthma, kidney damage and liver cancer, causing the European Union in 2005 and the United States in 2008 to take action by prohibiting six types of phthalates in children’s toys and products.

To prevent children’s exposure to phthalates, the EcoWaste Coalition has adopted the following tips for avoiding PVC school supplies from the US-based Center for Health, Environment and Justice:

1. Art Supplies: Avoid modeling polymer clays made of PVC .

2. Backpacks: Avoid backpacks with shiny plastic designs as they often contain PVC and may contain lead.

3. Clothing and Accessories: Look for PVC-free materials in rainwear (i.e. rain boots and raincoats), prints on clothing, and accessories such as handbags, jewelry and belts.

4. Food Wrap: Use PVC-free butcher paper, waxed paper, parchment paper, low density polyethylene (LDPE) or cellulose bags.

5. Lunchboxes: Avoid plastic lunch boxes that are made of or line with PVC. Use cloth lunch bags or metal lunchboxes.

6. Utensils and Dishware: Use stainless steel utensils.

7. Notebooks: Avoid notebooks containing metal spirals encased in colored plastic. The colored plastic coating on the metal spirals usually contains PVC. Select notebooks with uncovered metal spirals to avoid PVC.

8. Organizers and Address Books: Choose organizers/ address books made with sustainably harvested wood, metal, or paper covers. Avoid those made of plastic – these sometimes contain PVC.

9. Packaging of School Supplies: Avoid single-use disposable packaging, or those marked PVC or plastic number 3, whenever possible. Avoid products packaged in unlabeled plastics, such as clamshells and blister packs, which may contain PVC. Choose products with packaging made from more easily recycled materials like paper or cardboard.

10. Paperclips: Stick to the plain metal paperclips. Colored paper clips are coated with PVC.

11. Three-Ring Binders: Use cardboard, fabric-covered, or polypropylene binders. Most 3-ring binders are made of PVC.

12. Umbrellas: Avoid shiny and colorful plastic umbrellas as these are typically made out of PVC. Look for those made out of other materials such as nylon.

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EcoWaste urges DepEd to ensure toxic free toys

The Department of Education plans to give out toys to children this coming school year, to inspire them to attend school and learn.

However, the EcoWaste Coalition advised DepEd to ensure that donated toys and educational materials for kindergartens are toxic free.

Friday, Thony Dizon Coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition's Project People Responding And Organizing Against Toxic Chemical Threats or PROTECT, said that they commend the good intentions of DepEd Secretary Armin Luistro. However, they urge that DepEd should see to it that toys with "unsafe substances" are kept out of reach of pre-schoolers.

"We should not let our guards down; knowing that children are most prone to chemical contamination and other hazards," Dizon added. He pointed out that kids are more vulnerable to toxic chemical exposure compared to adult. And this is due to their frequent hand-to-mouth and object-to-mouth activities, which threatens their still developing immune and other vital systems.

Based in an experiment conducted in Thailand last December 2010, 6 out of 7 plastic toys in Divisoria marked positive for toxic plastic additives called Phthalates.

Phthalates contamination can affect the body causing damage to the liver, the kidneys, the lungs and the reproductive system.

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‘Brigada Eskwela’: A clean sweep

As students, teachers and parents get ready for school, a toxic watchdog calls for a pollution-free cleanup and repair of school facilities in line with the observance of National Schools Maintenance Week, May 23 to 28, spearheaded by the Department of Education.

As the Brigada Eskwela volunteers prepare to roll up their sleeves, EcoWaste gives this friendly reminder: “The open burning of discards, the unsafe removal of lead paint, and the application of lead-added paint during the cleanup drive are polluting activities that must be avoided.”

In 2006, a health study found 21 percent of children tested in the Visayas for blood lead levels (BLL) with lead up to 20 micrograms per deciliter in their blood, which exceeds the allowable limit of 10 mcg/dcl. Conducted by University of the Philippines health economist Dr. Orville Solon and other local and international collaborators, the study identified paint chips as one of the multiple possible sources of lead exposure for the said children.

The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that lead poisoning is especially harmful to the developing brains of fetuses and young children as well as to pregnant women. Says WHO, “Too much lead can damage the nervous and reproductive systems and the kidneys, and can cause high blood pressure and anemia. High blood lead levels in children can cause consequences, which may be irreversible, including learning disabilities, behavioral problems, and mental retardation. At very high levels, lead can cause convulsions, coma, and death.”

So, lead us not into danger from lead.

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Calapan bans use of plastics

Starting yesterday, it will be a “no-plastic Sunday” for this city, courtesy of a recently adopted ordinance banning the use of plastic bags in establishments here.

The “no-plastic Sunday” activity will be implemented for six months to give time for businesses and other vendors here to get used to providing alternative biodegradable and reusable wrapping and packagingmaterials before the ordinance is fully implemented in January 2012.

The ordinance, passed by the city council on April 29, prohibits the “use and sale of non-biodegradableplastic bags and Styrofoam as bagging and packaging materials for dry and wet goods” sold anywhere in the city.

The city government decided to ban the use of plastic bags and Styrofoam because they “are the main cause of drainage clogging resulting to flooding;” and that “when these are burned, these deplete the ozone layer, which results to global warming and climate change.”

The ordinance is Calapan’s way of helping save Mother Earth, said Vice Mayor Antonio Perez in a telephone interview Saturday.

The ordinance encourages alternative packaging materials like bayong (bag made from pandan leaves), cheese cloth, and leaves of banana, yam or water lily.

Under the measure, anyone caught selling goods wrapped in plastic bags will be meted the following penalties: first offense, four hours community service and P500 fine; second offense, eight hours community service and a fine of P1,000; and third offense, imprisonment of not more than six months and P2,500 fine.

The permits of businesses violating the ordinance will be cancelled for one year.

The ban on plastic bags and Styrofoam is under the Green Calapan Program, which was launched by the city government here on May 5, during the Miss Philippines Earth pageant.

Mayor Paulino “Doy” Leachon, in a statement, said he was giving his full support to the program, as “more than the infrastructure, the transformation of people and culture are more important.”

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DepEd told: Screen donated kindergarten toys

Before handing over donated toys to kindergarten pupils, the Department of Education must first screen the donated items for potential harmful or toxic effects.

The appeal came Saturday from environmental group EcoWaste Coalition, which said some toys contain toxic substances, or can choke or lacerate young children.

“While commending [Education] Secretary [Armin] Luistro for his good intentions, we find it necessary for DepEd to see to it that toys loaded with injurious substances are kept out of the gift-giving to welcome our pre-school learners," Anthony Dizon, a coordinator of EcoWaste Coalition, said in a post on EcoWaste's blog.

Dizon also suggested that the DepEd should come out with a health-based criteria on what toys can be donated and received.

“We should not let our guards down knowing that children are most prone to chemical and other hazards," he said.

The group said children are more at risk to toxic exposure than adults because of their frequent hand-to-mouth and object-to-mouth activities and their still immature immune and other vital systems.

It noted the Europe-based Safe Toys Coalition has been pushing for the removal of hazardous chemicals in toys and for their adequate labeling to guide consumers in making informed choices.

Only last December, EcoWaste disclosed six of seven plastic toys it bought from Divisoria and sent to Thailand for analysis contain phthalates, a toxic plastic additive, despite a government health warning.

Also in 2010, the group sent painted wooden toys to the US for testing and found some of the samples with high levels of lead, a neurotoxin.

Other chemicals of concern often found in toys include aniline, bisphenol A, brominated flame retardants, cadmium, chlorinated paraffins, chromium, formaldehyde, lead, nonylphenol, organotin, perfluorinated chemicals and triclosan, the group said.

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Keep school clean-up pollution-free – EcoWaste

As the Department of Education (DepEd) gears up for “Brigada Eskwela,” the annual back-to-school clean-up, green advocates appealed to the clean-up volunteers to make sure that the activity does not cause further pollution.

EcoWaste Coalition issued the reminder as parents, students, and other participants get ready for the DepEd-initiated “National Schools Maintenance Week” from May 23 to 28.

The group pointed out that open burning of discards, unsafe removal of lead paint and application of lead-added paint during the cleanup drive are polluting activities that must be avoided.

EcoWaste warned that open burning is banned under the Clean Air Act and the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, because it can release dozens of pollutants into the air including dioxin, a proven human carcinogen.

Meanwhile, sanding or scraping lead paint from flaking doors, walls, ceilings and windows will scatter dust containing lead, a neurotoxin that attacks the brain and the nervous system, it added.

If ingested or inhaled by children, lead-laden paint chips cause irreparable health problems, EcoWaste pointed out.

Citing a health study released in 2006, the group noted that 21 percent of children tested in the Visayas for blood lead levels (BLL) were found to have lead up to 20 micrograms per deciliter in their blood, which exceeds the allowable limit of 10 mcg/dcl.

Another study conducted by University of the Philippines health economist Dr. Orville Solon and other local and international collaborators identified paint chips as one of the “multiple possible sources of lead exposure” for children.

Citing information from the World Health Organization (WHO), EcoWaste warned that lead poisoning can cause serious health problems, especially to the developing brains of fetuses and young children and to pregnant women.

According to the WHO, "too much lead can damage the nervous and reproductive systems and the kidneys, and can cause high blood pressure and anemia. Lead accumulates in the bones and lead poisoning may be diagnosed from a blue line around the gums."

WHO also said lead interferes with the metabolism of calcium and Vitamin D.

“High blood lead levels in children can cause consequences which may be irreversible, including learning disabilities, behavioral problems, and mental retardation. At very high levels, lead can cause convulsions, coma and death,” WHO said.

To minimize children's exposure to lead-containing paint and dust, EcoWaste asked "Brigada Eskwela" organizers, volunteers and donors to shun lead-dispersing cleanup practices, and to ensure that school facilities are only painted with certified lead-free paint.

“We request concerned citizens to support the cleanup and repair of our classrooms, libraries, canteens and other school amenities such as activity areas and waiting sheds in a way that will not cause further pollution,” EcoWaste President Roy Alvarez said

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Group calls for eco-friendly "Brigada Eskwela" cleanup drive

Less than a month before the new schoolyear starts, an environmental group appealed to teachers and students to ensure an eco-friendly “Brigada Eskwela" cleanup drive.

The EcoWaste Coalition issued the reminder in time for the Department of Education’s “National Schools Maintenance Week" from May 23 to 28.

“Our admirable desire to make our schools spick and span in time for the resumption of classes need not result to the creation or release of harmful pollutants that can jeopardize our children’s health," EcoWaste president Roy Alvarez said in an entry on the group’s blog.

Paints containing lead

To minimize children’s exposure to paints containing the chemical "lead," Eco Waste urged “Brigada Eskwela" organizers and volunteers to avoid "lead-dispersing activities" and to use only certified lead-free paint.

The group cited a 2006 health study which found that 21 percent of children tested in the Visayas for blood lead levels (BLL) had lead up to 20 micrograms per deciliter in their blood, exceeding the “allowable limit" of 10 mcg/dcl.

The study conducted by University of the Philippines health economist Dr. Orville Solon and other local and international collaborators identified paint chips as one of the “multiple possible sources of lead exposure" for the said children.

The group also warned against sanding or scraping lead paint from flaking doors, walls, ceilings and windows because it will scatter dust containing lead, a neurotoxin that attacks the brain and the nervous system.

Eating or inhaling lead-laden paint chips and dust can expose children to lead and cause irreparable health problems, it said.

The World Health Organization (WHO), says lead poisoning can cause serious health problems, especially to the developing brains of fetuses and young children and to pregnant women.

WHO had warned “too much lead can damage the nervous and reproductive systems and the kidneys, and can cause high blood pressure and anemia."

“Lead accumulates in the bones and lead poisoning may be diagnosed from a blue line around the gums," it added.

According to WHO, high levels of lead in a child can cause irreversible learning disabilities, behavioral problems, and mental retardation.

“At very high levels, lead can cause convulsions, coma and death," said the WHO.

Open burning

EcoWaste particularly warned against the open burning of discards, the unsafe removal of lead paint and the application of lead-added paint during the cleanup drive.

Open burning, the group said, is a prohibited act under the Clean Air Act and the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act because it can release airborne pollutants, including the cancer-causing chemical "dioxin."

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Enlist schools in ecological waste management, DepEd urged

Environmentalists yesterday urged the Department of Education (DepEd) to push the country’s 55,230 public and private elementary and secondary schools to engage in waste prevention in line with the opening of a new academic year.

The EcoWaste Coalition specifically requested Education Secretary Armin Luistro to issue a memorandum that will remind school administrators to put in place appropriate policies and systems for reducing and managing school discards if they have not yet done so.

The last time the Education Department issued a reminder on the implementation of ecological solid waste management in schools, the group noted, was in 2001 during the term of then Secretary Andrew Gonzalez.

“With another La Sallian brother at the helm of the department, we hope to see more schools becoming centers of excellence in terms of eliminating garbage and promoting environmental stewardship and action among our students and citizens,” said Roy Alvarez, EcoWaste Coalition president.

He stressed, “Zero waste resource management will contribute to a healthy and socially-responsible school system that will not add to the 35,000 tons of trash that the whole country generates each day.”

Alvarez recalled that DepEd Memorandum No. 33-2001 provided for the monitoring of school implementation of ecological solid waste management, including the promotion of “sorting-at-source,” the “use of recycled materials” and “banning any form of open burning.”

“Now is the best time for DepEd to reiterate school involvement on Zero Waste resource management as this will complement the government’s national green agenda, particularly in preventing and reducing trash,” said Christina Vergara, also of the EcoWaste Coalition.

“The memorandum can also include attractive incentives for schools to enforce and shine in ecological waste management, including morale-boosting commendations for practicing schools,” she added.
The group cited the grand winners of the “National Search for Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Schools,” namely, the Peñablanca East Central Elementary School in Peñablanca, Cagayan; La Castellana National High School in La Castellana, Negros Occidental; and Palawan State University in Puerto Princesa; as well as the recipients of the “Dark Green School” label from the Environmental Education Network of the Philippines such as the De La Salle University- Dasmariñas Cavite; Miriam College in Quezon City and Visayas State University in Baybay, Leyte; and the Cavite Institute in Silang, Cavite, which the World Bank cited for its innovative recycling for scholarship program.

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Tondo Recyclers Meet to Tackle Mercury Hazard from Lamp Recycling

Amid a cloudy post-Bebeng weather, over 50 informal recyclers and barangay and city officials today converged at the covered court of Barangay 105, Zone 8, District I in Tondo, Manila to tackle the danger posed to workers’ health and the environment by mercury pollution from lamp waste recycling.

The meeting held at the auspices of the Barangay Council and the Manila Health Department was in response to a recent “toxic investigation” conducted by non-governmental environmental groups that found high levels of mercury vapor in lamp recycling sites close to the Pier 18 Garbage Transfer Station.

According to Barangay Chairman Luisito Reyes, the Office of Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim had instructed the Manila Health Department to address the said toxic expose and provide health information to affected city residents.

“Mercury is toxic to human health and the ecosystems. Steps must be undertaken to prevent mercury-containing waste from being thrown into regular trash and thus endangering the health of families who depend on recycling for livelihood and survival," said Mila Valenzuela, Sanitary Officer of Manila District I.

Speaking at the meeting, representatives of the EcoWaste Coalition and the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives cited the need for chemical safety information and other precautionary measures to avoid waste workers’ exposure to harmful chemicals, especially from the recycling of waste electronic and electrical equipment, or e-waste.

“Being informed and alert about mercury and other toxic chemicals in products and wastes should lead to reduced workers’ exposure to chemical hazards in recycling activities,” said Thony Dizon, Coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition’s Project PROTECT (People Responding and Organizing Toxic Chemical Threats).

“Our community recyclers in Tondo and elsewhere play a huge role in solving our ecological and climate woes and deserve nothing less than safe and humane working and living conditions. Our pursuit for an environmentally-sound management of spent lamps and other e-waste, including a producer take-back program, should help in easing waste toxicity in the recycling stream and in protecting workers’ health,” said Manny Calonzo of GAIA, which runs a “respect for recyclers” campaign.

During the meeting, the participants discussed and agreed to take practical steps to minimize toxic pollution from recycling activities that can put the health and safety of waste workers, their families and their surroundings at risk.

These steps include carefully retrieving spent lamps from the waste stream for safe and temporary containment and storage, and not breaking the glass housing of the discarded lamps to avoid the release of health-damaging mercury vapor.

The collected lamps should then be sold to participating junk shops and resold to government-accredited transport, storage and disposal (TSD) facilities for environmentally-sound recycling.

According to the NGOs, the costs involved should be in the interim paid for by the government until a comprehensive producer take-back program has been put in place.

Also known as extended producer responsibility (EPR), the mandatory take-back scheme will make lamp manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers accountable for the management of their end-of-life products and thus avoiding their recycling in sub-standard conditions or their disposal in dumpsites, landfills and incinerators.

At the end of the meeting, Barangay Councilors Marlene Tumbokon and Dan Aliman both pledged to craft a health and environmental ordinance that will, among others, prohibit the breaking of mercury-containing lamp waste in their area.

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24 flood-prone Metro Manila areas identified

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has identified 24 areas in the metropolis that are prone to floods during heavy rains.

These are:

Along H. Lopez Boulevard
Along R-10
Anda Circle
Taft Avenue corner Quirino Avenue
Along Abad Santos
Along G. Araneta Avenue
Mother Ignacia corner Bohol Avenue
Timog corner Scout Tobias
Along General Kalentong St.
P.Sanchez St. corner Fabella St.
Martinez St. corner F. Ortigas St.
Boni Avenue corner F. Ortigas St.
Edsa corner Connecticut
Chino Roces corner Edsa
Along Gil Puyat
Quirino Ave. Plaza
Airport Road and Naia Road
E. Rodriguez Jr. Avenenue corner Eagle Avenue
East Service road-Nichols Interchange
East Service road-DBM Avenue
Along C.P Garcia Avenue
Along Manuel L.Quezon Ave.
Along Commonwealth Ave
Along Tandang Sora and Ortigas Avenue in front of La Salle St.

The MMDA has placed signboards in these areas and along roads that motorists can use during floods.

EcoWaste Coalition, meanwhile, believes that garbage and clogged waterways continue to cause floods in Metro Manila.

The group said it supports the MMDA's anti-littering campaign but urged the agency to strengthen its overall program to solve floods and create a long-term plan to solve the problem.

EcoWaste Coalition also urged the public to be disciplined in disposing garbage. The group said a proper solid waste management program may solve the metropolis' perennial garbage woes.

MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino, meanwhile, blamed the around 70,000 families that have illegally settled in waterways across Metro Manila.

He said the agency said is coordinating with the National Housing Authority (NHA) to relocate the informal settlers.

Tolentino said the MMDA does not have enough funds to launch a more comprehensive program to solve flooding in Metro Manila.

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Mercury Rising

In another development, green groups pressed the government to draw up a strategy for the collection of spent fluorescent lamps following a “toxic investigation” indicating informal recyclers’ exposure to health-damaging mercury vapor from broken lamps.

The groups include Ang Nars, Ayala Foundation, Ban Toxics, Citizens Organization Concerned with Advocating Philippine Environmental Sustainability, Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, Green Convergence, Health Care Without Harm, Institute for the Development of Educational and Ecological Alternatives, Miriam PEACE, Sanib Lakas ng mga Aktibong Lingkod ng Inang Kalikasan, and the EcoWaste Coalition Secretariat.

They urged the Department of (DoE) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to formalize a system that would prevent the disposal of mercury-containing lamp waste, particularly from households, into regular waste bins.
Alvarez notes with concern, “By taking action now, the DoE and DENR, with support from local authorities, businesses and consumers, can reduce the occupational risks being faced daily by our waste workers from the handling and recycling mercury-containing discards.”

He adds, “A mandatory ‘take back’ program involving producers, including manufacturers, importers, distributors, and retailers of both ‘branded’ and ‘unbranded’ CFLs will be essential in this regard.”

According to the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration, a “worker’s exposure to mercury vapour shall at no time exceed (the) ceiling level” of 0.1 milligram per cubic meter (or 100 mcg/m3), the agency’s “permissible exposure limit” for mercury vapor.

The groups had earlier detected harmful levels of mercury vapor from the informal recycling of compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) at Pier 18 Garbage Transfer Station in Manila using a mercury vapor analyzer called “Jerome,” with the highest reading recorded at 502.45 mcg/m3.

To put a stop to improper disposal of lamp wastes generated by households and small businesses, the groups proposed to DoE and DENR a system that would:

• Reiterate and enforce the prohibition against the disposal of used lamps in dumpsites, landfills, and incinerators under the country’s major environmental laws and regulations (RA 6969, RA 8749, RA 9003).

• Notify household consumers about the proper management of used lamps through popular means of communication, stressing that mercury-containing lamp waste should be sorted at source and appropriately treated as hazardous waste to reduce mercury releases from waste.

• Assign Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs), also known as Ecology Centers, in every barangay or cluster of barangays as primary drop-off points for used lamps, ensuring that items received are safely stored (that is, in baulbilya or baul ng bumbilya).

• Designate as many convenient drop-off points or depositories for used lamps with appropriate receptacles provided, such as in barangay halls, churches, public markets, supermarkets, malls, and hardware stores.

• Provide incentives for residents to bring their used lamps to designated barangay drop-off points such as by introducing food exchange scheme (e.g., egg for CFL) or rebate scheme for returned lamps. Alternatively, local authorities can:

1) Specify barangay collection days for used lamps (like every first and third Friday of the month or any time convenient for the community). For non-collection days, residents can bring their used lamps to designated drop-off points.

2) Contract waste pickers to do house-to-house collection during designated barangay collection days for used lamps.

• Require LGUs or authorized handlers and recyclers of mercury-containing lamp waste to collect the items from the drop-off points (like every first and third Saturday of the month or any time convenient for the community) and to keep records of lamp waste collected.

• Require lamp importers to disclose lamp importation data, as well as require lamp waste treatment, storage, and disposal (TSD) facilities to make information accessible to the public.

Now, these are really bright ideas vis-a-vis indiscriminate lamp waste disposal.

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Zeroeing in on zero waste in schools

Kids, are you ready to go back to school? I know, I know, you’re still on vacation — staying out late, sleeping late, way past your bedtime, snuggling under the crisp sheets till kingdom come or till the harsh rays of the sun come streaming through your window.

I hate to be a spoilsport, but it won’t be long before schools open a new academic year. And in line with this, a pollution watchdog has urged the Department of Education (DepEd) to get our 55,230 public and private elementary and secondary schools to go for zero waste pollution. The EcoWaste Coalition is asking Education Secretary Armin Luistro, FSC to issue a memorandum to remind school administrators to put in place appropriate policies and systems for reducing and managing school discards — that is, if they have not yet done so.

It was in 2001, during the term of Education Secretary Andrew Gonzalez, FSC, that DepEd last issued a reminder on the implementation of ecological solid waste management in schools. “With another La Sallian brother at the helm of the department, we hope to see more schools becoming centers of excellence in terms of eliminating garbage and promoting environmental stewardship and action among our students and citizens,” says EcoWaste Coalition president Roy Alvarez.

He zeroes in on the importance of the subject, “Zero waste resource management will contribute to a healthy and socially-responsible school system that will not add to the 35,000 tons of trash that the whole country generates each day.”

Doing his homework, Alvarez recalls that DECS Memorandum No. 33-2001 provided for the monitoring of school implementation of ecological solid waste management, including the promotion of “sorting-at-source,” the “use of recycled materials,” and “banning any form of open burning.”

“Now is the best time for DepEd to reiterate school involvement in zero waste resource management as this will complement the government’s national green agenda, particularly in preventing and reducing trash,” asserts EcoWaste’s Christina Vergara. “The memorandum can also include attractive incentives for schools to enforce and shine in ecological waste management, including morale-boosting commendations for practicing schools.”

Of course, the country is not lacking in model schools in both public and private sectors that can provide aspiring educational institutions with practical knowledge on how to “green” their schools, according to the Coalition.

Certainly, we’re never wanting for model schools. For instance, there are the grand winners of the National Search for Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Schools, namely, the Peñablanca East Central Elementary School in Peñablanca, Cagayan; La Castellana National High School in La Castellana, Negros Occidental; and Palawan State University in Puerto Princesa; the recipients of the Dark Green School label from the Environmental Education Network of the Philippines such as the De La Salle University-Dasmariñas Cavite, Miriam College in Quezon City, and Visayas State University in Baybay, Leyte. And then there’s the Cavite Institute in Silang, Cavite, which the World Bank cited for its innovative recycling for scholarship program.

Way to go, kids!

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'Of paramount concern'

It was once known as home to the country’s largest state penitentiary. Now Muntinlupa is cleaning up its image in more ways than one.

In 2010, the Muntinlupa City Council approved City Ordinance 10-109 entitled, “An Ordinance Prohibiting the Use of Plastic Bags on Dry Goods, Regulating its Utilization on Wet Goods and Prohibiting the Use of Styrofoam/Styrophor in the City of Muntinlupa. While similar issuances have long been in effect in cities like New Delhi in India, Beijing in China, and San Francisco in the USA, for the Philippines, it is the first city-wide ordinance of its kind.

The measure, more stringent than the “no plastic bag days” being enforced by a few other local government units in Metro Manila, prohibits the use of plastic and styrophor packaging materials for dry and wet goods by business establishments within city limits. It also provides for penalties to would-be violators: P500 for the first offense; P1000 for the second offense; and P2500 and six months’ imprisonment for the third offense.

After a one-year moratorium, the ordinance took full effect on January of this year. But like all trailblazing pieces of legislation, its implementation was not without opposition. In April, workers from a plastic manufacturing company led by a certain Alan Malapitan filed criminal and administrative charges against Muntinlupa Mayor Aldrin San Pedro. Filed before the Ombudsman, the case alleged the “oppressive implementation” of the total plastic ban.

According to Malapitan, the rule, implemented without “even looking at its possible effects,” practically threatens the livelihood of more than 5000 workers in the plastic industry. The problem, he said, was the lack of “discipline in the disposal of garbage.”

Lawyer Raymund Palad, representing both Malapitan and the Philippine Plastic Industry Association echoed the sentiment saying Ordinate 10-109 was “in clear violation of Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.”

Omar Acosta, the Mayor’s spokesperson, however countered that such a move was “mere harassment,” borne of manufacturing companies’ fear of “losing money.” The City Council had earlier claimed that plastics – non-biodegradable materials – are a major cause of flash floods in the city as they clog canals, three creeks, and more than ten rivers draining unto the dying Laguna Lake.

Advocacy group EcoWaste Coalition believes as much. According to its Coordinator, Rei Panaligan, “carelessly thrown plastic bags block the drainage systems and waterways (eventually) finding their way into the country’s biggest ‘landfill,’ the Manila Bay, causing massive marine pollution.”

“We now know how plastic bags are exacerbating our nation’s garbage woes and how illegally thrown plastic discard are adding to our people’s sufferings in times of flood and weather disturbances ... Let us not forget the lessons of Ondoy.”

Panaligan was referring to the 2009 tropical storm “Ondoy” (international name Ketsana), which according to estimates from the National Disaster Coordinating Council had caused the country nearly P5 billion in damages, claimed the lives of nearly 300, and belatedly brought to the fore the perils of plastic-clogged drainage systems and waterways.

The EcoWaste Web site writes: “A discards survey in 2006 involving EcoWaste Coalition and Greenpeace volunteers shows that synthetic plastic materials constitute 76 percent of the floating trash items in Manila Bay, with plastic bags comprising 51 percent; sachets and junk food wrappers, 19 percent; Styrofoam containers, five percent; and hard plastics, one percent. The rest of the rubbish found in Manila Bay consisted of rubber (10 percent) and biodegradable discards (13 percent).”

Further, “another study published in 2009 by the US-based Ocean Conservancy revealed that 679,957 of over 1.2 million pieces of marine litter of various types that were gathered in seaside areas during the 2008 International Coastal Clean Up Day in the country were plastic bags.”

For former Environment Department lawyer Alton Durban, these figures are enough for Muntinlupa to act in “defense” of its constituents. “It is within the power of the LGU (local government unit) to protect the general welfare of its constituents. The City and its people stand to spend more, in fact, lose more, if it does not enforce measures that will prevent future flash floods. Less waste, especially in the form of non-biodegradable waste, translates to a more efficient and more doable waste management system,” said Durban.

Former Senator and Environment Secretary Heherson Alvarez believes as much. According to him, the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, which he co-authored, generally provides the guidelines for proper waste management. It is within the “purview of the LGU’s mandate to approve and enact ordinances for so long as these do not run contrary to existing laws.”

The challenge, however, remains the “reconciliation of various sectoral interests.” Alvarez who was also the principal author of another major environmental law, “The Clean Air Act of 1999,” recalled that it took him years to convince oil players, big business to give the then bill on Clean Air a chance. “I had to make them realize that even big business will ultimately benefit from eco-friendly and sustainable development,” he narrated.

“The environment is always of paramount concern.”

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‘Poisons without passports’

ENVIRONMENTAL groups have appealed to the Philippine delegation to a major intergovernmental assembly in Switzerland to “keep the promise” of protecting humans and the ecosystems from very dangerous chemicals.

The EcoWaste Coalition and the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) called for “strong and active” Philippine participation at the Fifth Conference of Parties (COP5) of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), held in Geneva in the last days of April.

POPs are very toxic chemicals that can cause cancer and other adverse health problems. They are known as “poisons without passports,” travelling vast distances via air and water, persisting in the environment for a long time and bioaccumulating in humans and animals.

In a letter sent to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB), the groups expressed hope that the Philippines will join other countries in guaranteeing that the goal of the Stockholm Convention, also known as the POPs treaty, is “faithfully kept and advanced at COP5.”

Leading the government delegation to COP5 are Ambassador Evan Garcia of the Permanent Mission of the Philippines to UN in Geneva and Renato Cruz, chief of the DENR-EMB Air Quality Division.

“We appeal to our delegates to keep the promise of the POPs treaty of protecting the public health and the environment from these extremely harmful chemicals through their strong and active participation in the crucial meeting of parties,” the groups said.

“We specifically urge our country to actively back the proposal to list endosulfan, a highly hazardous pesticide, in Annex A of the treaty for global elimination,” they further said.

“We further hope that our delegation will take the right decision to support the recommendations on the elimination of POP-BDE from waste and recycling streams,” they added.

BDEs, or brominated diphenyl ethers, are chemical flame retardants targeted for eradication under the Stockholm Convention.

A global expert panel known as the POPs Review Committee (POPRC) has recommended that BDEs be eliminated from waste streams before recycling or disposal operations inasmuch as “failure to do so will inevitably result in wider human and environmental contamination and the dispersal” of this POP.

The committee also recommended that countries urgently establish and apply screening techniques and separation of materials containing POP-BDE in order to stop the recycling of these materials and to safely store indicative POP-BDE-containing materials and/or articles when screening and separation techniques are not readily available.

Removing BDEs from products such as electronic and electrical equipment, home and office furniture, drapes and carpets from the waste and recycling streams would help in reducing occupational and environmental risks among recyclers and their communities, the groups said.

Citing the “San Antonio Statement on Brominated and Chlorinated Flame Retardants” by prominent scientists, the groups said that “there is a lack of capacity to handle electronic waste in an environmentally-sound manner in almost all developing and transition countries, leading to the release of hazardous substances that cause harm to human health and the environment.”

“Flame retardants with POP characteristics should not be permitted to be subjected to disposal operations that may lead to recovery, recycling, reclamation, direct reuse, or alternative uses of the substances,” the scientists said.

“It is our hope that COP5 will take decisive actions to implement the Stockholm Convention more forcefully to make sure that the present generation as well as the succeeding ones will no longer suffer from POP exposures, injuries and diseases,” the groups stated.

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‘Basura non grata’

A persona non grata is a person who is not acceptable among a certain group of people.

The current showbiz talk involving an actress-turned-politician and a town mayor of Bulacan is that the mayor reportedly filed a case against the actress-politician.

The town mayor is reportedly being supported by a number of mayors who have declared the actress-politician as persona non grata in Bulacan.

Ang bilis tumulong ng mga mayor na nakiisa sa mayor ng Bulacan, Bulacan Patrick Meneses na siyang naghabla sa actress-politician, ayon sa mga balita sa TV at pahayagan.

Naging isa sa mga panauhin namin ang noon ay pangalawang alkalde pa lamang ng kanyang bayan na si Meneses sa isang kumperensya para sa Inang Kalikasan sa Malolos Paradise Resort, Malolos Bulacan, noong Agosto 2007. Ang tema ng kumperensya ay “Tungo sa Maka-kalikasang Komunidad at Kabukiran.”

Isa rin sa mga dumalo noon ay si Calumpit Mayor James De Jesus na siyang nagpapatupad ng zero waste ngayon sa kanyang bayan. Sa Calumpit din isinasagawa ang organikong pagtatanim sa ilang mga barangay.

Mabuhay si Calumpit Mayor James De Jesus!

Malaki ang pasasalamat ng Bangon Kalikasan Movement kina De Jesus at Meneses sa pagpapaunlak noon sa aming paanyaya. Ngunit pagkaraan noon ay hindi ko na nasubaybayan ang maka-kalikasang pamamahala ng mga tira-tirang bagay sa Bulacan, Bulacan.

Ang munting tagumpay namin ay ang pagsasagawa ng mga magbubukid ng organikong pagtatanim sa bayan ng Bulacan. Hindi ko na rin namalayang naging alkalde na si Patrick Meneses.

Naiisip kong kaybilis ng mga alalayan ‘ika ng mga mayor ng Bulacan pagdating sa katulad nitong usapin na umiinog sa isang kasamahan na nasangkot sa isang showbiz personality. Nahiling ko sa sarili na sana’y ganito rin kabilis ang pagtugon nila sa lumalalang krisis sa ating kalikasan na ipinamukha na sa atin ng mga bagyong Milenyo, Ondoy, at Pepeng.

Bagaman may pagsisikap na ginagawa na linisin ang mga ilog ng Marilao, Bocaue , Obando, Valenzuela at isama na ang ibang ilog tulad ng Bustos, Angat, Malolos atbp., kailangang makatotohanang ipatupad ng mga mayor ang Republic Act 9003 o Ecological Solid Waste Mangement Act at ang Clean Air Act na matagal nang “nagmumulto” sa lalawigan ng Bulacan dahil sa hindi o kaya’y ganap na pagsasara ng mga tambakan ng basura na ang iba’y nasa tabi ng mga ilog ng Bulacan, at sa patuloy na paghantong sa pagiging ‘kumunoy” ng mga kailugan ng lalawigan.. Huwag nating hayaang maganap ang bagay na ito.Dahil sa kalupaan nanggagaling ang mga basurang napupunta sa ilog.

Dapat ideklara ng mga mayor na ito ang ‘basura non grata’. Garbage and dumpsites should not be acceptable in the province of Bulacan. During her time, former governor Josie Dela Cruz had forwarded to the Provincial Board a proposal from the EcoWaste Coalition to transform the province into a Zero-Waste Bulacan. This should be pursued.

The call for Zero-Waste Bulacan has been going on for several years, but sadly, only Calumpit and a number of barangays in different towns in the province have realized that they can live without dumpsites and can even help mitigate climate change or global warming.

Dati’y hindi ako naniniwala na marunong gumanti ang Inang Kalikasan sa kahit anumang paraan dahil sa paglapastangan ng tao sa kanya.. Ngunit pagkaraan ng Ondoy at Pepeng, parang gusto ko nang maniwala sa kasabihang ito.

Huwag nang makipaglansihan pa sa Inang Kalikasan. Napakaganda ng lalawigan ng Bulacan. Ipagtanggol at ibangon natin ang patuloy na nasasalaulang kagandahan nito.

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Lead contamination found in Hanoi food

Food samples recently taken from four major markets in Ha Noi revealed that they were contaminated with lead.

Doctors and experts from the National Institute of Nutrition carried out the research from March 2009 to March 2010 on 12 kinds of common food including water morning glory, rice, pork, beef, chicken, shrimp, oranges, mandarins, tomato, eggs, and powdered and fresh milk. Four samples from each kind of the food were taken from Hao Nam, Hom, Hang Be and Thanh Cong markets.

According to tests on the samples, water morning glory and pork led the list of food for lead contamination with five out of eight samples affected. Meanwhile, five out of 12 samples of rice were affected with lead, and one quarter of shrimp, orange and mandarin samples were contaminated.

According to the Ministry of Health,
the maximum amount of safe lead in fruit is less than 0.1mg per kilo, and less than 0.2mg per kilo of cereals or rice.

Le Thi Hong Hao, deputy director of the National Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene Tests warned, "Having food contaminated with lead, people, especially children, can suffer from kidney failure and brain oedema."

Moreover, she said, lead poison was a serious problem as it took a long time for the human body to recover from lead poisoning.

"It takes seven years to discard lead from the kidney, and 32 years to discard lead from bones," said Hao.

If adults eat food affected with lead, more than 90 per cent of the lead will be absorbed by their bones. If children eat food affected with lead, as many as 64 per cent of the lead will be taken in by the bones, with the remainder soaked up by their brain, blood and kidney.

Lead poisoning symptoms among children include digestive disorders, vomiting and diarrhoea. The children suffer from a lack of appetite and bellyache, she said, with more serious consequences with prolonged exposure.

Children could suffer from convulsions, unconsciousness and even die from severe lead poisoning. Even if successfully treated they were likely to suffer from mental disabilities, cerebral palsy and paralysis, said Hao.

Doctor Ngo Ha Phuong, member of the research team, said that they would propose the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Health to strengthen their management of farming manufacturing processes.

"We should have clear regulations for every phase of the food processing process, from breeding through to processing," said Phuong.

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Gov’t action sought on disposal of lamps with mercury

Following an investigation on discarded mercury-containing lamps at a garbage transfer station in Tondo, Manila, green groups appealed to the government to come up with an effective mechanism on the collection of spent fluorescent lamps that continue to pose threats to human health and environment.

Environment advocates, led by EcoWaste Coalition, particularly pressed the Departments of Energy, and Environment and Natural Resources, to formalize a system that will prevent the disposal of used fluorescent lamps, particularly from households, into regular waste bins.

A “toxic” investigation earlier conducted by EcoWaste revealed “harmful” levels of mercury vapor from the informal recycling of compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) at Pier 18 Garbage Transfer Station in Manila using a mercury vapor analyzer, with the highest reading at 502.45 micrograms per cubic meter (mcg/m3).

The permissible mercury vapor in the environment should only be 100 mcg/m3 (0.1 milligram per cubic meter), according to the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

“By taking action now, the DoE and DENR, with support from local authorities, businesses and consumers, can reduce the occupational risks being faced daily by our waste workers from the handling and recycling mercury-containing discards,” EcoWaste president Roy Alvarez said.

“A mandatory ‘take back’ program involving producers, including manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers of both ‘branded’ and ‘unbranded’ CFLs will be essential in this regard,” he added.

Citing information from the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) publication on “Mercury in Products and Wastes,” EcoWaste warned that “when products containing mercury are discarded into the general waste stream, the mercury pollutes the environment—in waterways, wetlands, and the air - and endangers people both locally and globally.”

EcoWaste, among other groups, has also proposed a seven-point system to DoE and DENR for the collection of lamp waste generated by households and small business and institutions.

It recommended the reiteration and enforcement of prohibition against the disposal of used lamps in dump sites, landfills and incinerators under the country’s major environmental laws and regulations, such as the Toxic Substances and Hazardous Waste Act (Republic Act 6969), Philippine Clean Air Act (RA 8749), and Ecological Solid Waste Management Act (RA 9003).

The group also asked DoE and DENR to notify household consumers about the proper management of used lamps through popular means of communication, stressing that mercury-containing lamp wastes should be sorted at source and appropriately treated as hazardous wastes to reduce mercury releases from wastes.

In addition, EcoWaste recommended assigning Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs), also known as Ecology Centers, in every barangay or cluster of barangays as primary drop-off points for used lamps, ensuring that items received are safely stored.

Another measure suggested by the group is the designation of convenient drop-off points or depositories for used lamps with appropriate receptacles provided such as in barangay halls, churches, public markets, supermarkets, malls and hardware stores.

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Groups praise UN ban on endosulfan

Environmental health and justice groups lauded the decision of the international community to impose a global ban on endosulfan, a highly hazardous pesticide that became “infamous” in 2008 with the sinking of M.V. Princess of the Stars off Sibuyan Island.

At the same time, the groups asked the government to waste no time in ensuring the safe disposal of some 10 metric tons of endosulfan retrieved from the ill-fated vessel, which are currently stored in a private warehouse in Bulacan.

The EcoWaste Coalition and the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, both members of “Bantay Endosulfan” (Endosulfan Watch), pressed the Aquino administration to immediately constitute an action team that will ensure the environmentally-sound disposal of the banned pesticide stocks.

The fifth Conference of Parties (COP5) of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), which ended Friday, agreed to include endosulfan in Annex A of the treaty for global elimination, subject to specific exemptions.

“We applaud the decision of COP5 to finally ban endosulfan as a huge triumph for health and justice, and we honor the governments and citizens behind this historic verdict, especially the pollution victims, the Pesticide Action Network and the International POPs Elimination Network," said Manny Calonzo of the EcoWaste Coalition and GAIA.

Calonzo, quoting a letter to Bantay Endosulfan dated September 11, 2008 by then DOTC Undersecretary Maria Elena Bautista, said that “Del Monte Phils., as consignee and supposed owner of the cargo intends to ship back said chemical to its manufacturer in Israel.”

“However, inasmuch as there is an ongoing court case between the Sulpicio Lines and Del Monte Phils. concerning the shipment, the chemical shall be put to the custody of the Regional Trial Court as evidence while it is being litigated,” wrote Bautista, then concurrent head of the government-formed Task Force Princess of the Stars.

Another letter by Bautista to the group dated November 20, 2008 said “that the endosulfan is now under the custody of the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (which) has been ordered to return the endosulfan to its owner Makhteshim Chemicals Ltd.”

As confirmed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau with the EcoWaste Coalition, the endosulfan stocks are stored in the Vertical Fertilizer Chemical Corp. warehouse located in 72 Camalig Road, Meycauayan, Bulacan.

Comprising Bantay Endosulfan are the Pesticide Action Network-Philippines, Cavite Green Coalition, EcoWaste Coalition, Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, Greenpeace Southeast Asia, Health Care Without Harm and the Sibuyan Island Sentinels League for Environment.

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Green groups: Dispose of endosulfan now

As the international community imposes a global ban on the endosulfan, a "highly hazardous pesticide" used on food and non-food crops, green groups appealed to the Aquino administration to speed up the safe disposal of at least 10 metric tons of the substance that had been retrieved from a passenger ferry that sank off Sibuyan Island almost three years ago.

The fifth Conference of Parties (COP5) of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), which ended last Friday, agreed to include endosulfan in Annex A of the treaty for global elimination, subject to specific exemptions.

“We applaud the decision of COP5 to finally ban endosulfan as a huge triumph for health and justice, and we honor the governments and citizens behind this historic verdict, especially the pollution victims, the Pesticide Action Network and the International POPs Elimination Network," said Manny Calonzo of the EcoWaste Coalition and Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA).

After reaching a decision on endosulfan, Calonzo said the Philippine government should now focus on the safe disposal of the cargo of endosulfan that had been salvaged from the MV Princess of the Stars in 2008.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources' (DENR) Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) had told the EcoWaste that the pesticide is stored at the Vertical Fertilizer Chemical Corp. warehouse in Camalig Road, Meycauayan.

EcoWaste and GAIA appealed to the Aquino administration to immediately form an action team that will ensure the environmentally-sound disposal of the banned pesticide.

"Now that the cat is out of the bag, we ask President Aquino to urgently deal with our own stockpile of the exceedingly toxic agrochemical,” Calonzo said.

“We have repeatedly reminded both the Arroyo and the Aquino administrations about the looming global action to ban endosulfan under the POPs treaty and the need for swift action to ship back the pesticide to its manufacturer,” he pointed out.

Calonzo noted that from day one, they have pushed for the return of the cargo of endosulfan to its consignee, Del Monte Phils., knowing the country’s lack of appropriate facility where pesticide can be disposed of.

Quoting a letter to EcoWaste and GAIA's Bantay Endosulfan, dated September 11, 2008 by then Transportation and Communications Undersecretary Maria Elena Bautista-Horn, Calonzo said that “Del Monte Phils., as consignee and supposed owner of the cargo intends to ship back said chemical to its manufacturer in Israel.”

“However, inasmuch as there is an ongoing court case between the Sulpicio Lines and Del Monte Phils. concerning the shipment, the chemical shall be put to the custody of the Regional Trial Court as evidence while it is being litigated,” wrote Bautista, then concurrent head of the government-formed Task Force Princess of the Stars.

Another letter by Bautista to the group dated November 20, 2008 said “that the endosulfan is now under the custody of the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (which) has been ordered to return the endosulfan to its owner Makhteshim Chemicals Ltd.”

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Safety disposal of 10 tons of endosulfan from MV Princess of the Stars sought

Environmental health and justice groups on Saturday asked the Philippine government to ensure the safety disposal of some 10 metric tons of endosulfan retrieved from MV Princess of the Stars which sunk off Sibuyan Island.

This after they lauded the decision of the international community to impose a global ban on endosulfan, a highly hazardous pesticide.

The endosulfan recovered from the sunken ship are currently stored in a private warehouse in Bulacan.

The EcoWaste Coalition and the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, both members of “Bantay Endosulfan” (Endosulfan Watch), pressed the Aquino administration to immediately constitute an action team that will ensure the environmentally-sound disposal of the banned pesticide stocks.

The fifth Conference of Parties (COP5) of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), which ended Friday, agreed to include endosulfan in Annex A of the treaty for global elimination, subject to specific exemptions.

“We applaud the decision of COP5 to finally ban endosulfan as a huge triumph for health and justice, and we honor the governments and citizens behind this historic verdict, especially the pollution victims, the Pesticide Action Network and the International POPs Elimination Network," said Manny Calonzo of the EcoWaste Coalition and GAIA.

"Now that the cat is out of the bag, we ask P-Noy to urgently deal with our own stockpile of the exceedingly toxic agrochemical,” he said.

“We have repeatedly reminded both the Arroyo and the Aquino administrations about the looming global action to ban endosulfan under the POPs treaty and the need for swift action to ship back the pesticide to its manufacturer,” recalled Calonzo.

“From day one, we have pushed for ‘return to sender’ knowing our country’s lack of appropriate facility where endosulfan can be disposed of in such as manner that it is destroyed or irreversibly transformed,” he added.

Calonzo, quoting a letter to Bantay Endosulfan dated September 11, 2008 by then Transportation and Communication Undersecretary Maria Elena Bautista, said that “Del Monte Phils., as consignee and supposed owner of the cargo, intends to ship back said chemical to its manufacturer in Israel.”

“However, inasmuch as there is an on-going court case between the Sulpicio Lines and Del Monte Phils. Concerning the shipment, the chemical shall be put to the custody of the Regional Trial Court as evidence while it is being litigated,” wrote Bautista, then concurrent head of the government-formed Task Force Princess of the Stars.

Another letter by Bautista to the group dated November 20, 2008 said “that the endosulfan is now under the custody of the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (which) has been ordered to return the endosulfan to its owner Makhteshim Chemicals Ltd.”

As confirmed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Environmental Management Bureau with the EcoWaste Coalition, the endosulfan stocks are stored in the Vertical Fertilizer Chemical Corp. warehouse located in 72 Camalig Road, Meycauayan, Bulacan.

Comprising Bantay Endosulfan are the Pesticide Action Network-Philippines, Cavite Green Coalition, EcoWaste Coalition, Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, Greenpeace Southeast Asia, Health Care Without Harm and the Sibuyan Island Sentinels League for Environment.

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