Cebu City may explore garbage pyrolysis technology as part of a long-term strategy to address its worsening solid waste management problem.
The City Council has approved a resolution urging the executive department to study and assess the feasibility of implementing the waste-to-energy system in the city.
Authored by Councilor Winston Pepito, the measure recommends that the Office of the Mayor and the Department of Public Services (DPS) examine the development of a pyrolysis project as a long-term and sustainable approach to the city’s growing garbage disposal concerns.
The proposal comes as Cebu City continues to grapple with increasing waste generation, limited landfill capacity, and the lingering impact of the closure of the Binaliw landfill earlier this year following a fatal trash slide.
Pepito cited rapid urbanization, population growth, commercial expansion, and rising waste production as key drivers of the city’s solid waste challenges.
“The growing volume of municipal solid waste has resulted in serious environmental, health, economic, and logistical concerns, including landfill congestion, illegal dumping, pollution, and rising waste collection and disposal costs,” the resolution stated.
Garbage pyrolysis is a thermal process that breaks down waste materials in the absence or near-absence of oxygen, converting them into byproducts such as syngas, pyrolysis oil, carbon char, and other reusable materials.
The resolution noted that the technology could reduce reliance on landfills while supporting resource recovery and potential energy generation.
It also cited that similar systems have been adopted in other countries and local government units as part of alternative waste management strategies.
Any proposed implementation, however, must comply with Republic Act No. 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, as well as environmental standards and requirements set by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and other concerned agencies.
The resolution directs the DPS, Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CCENRO), and other offices to conduct feasibility studies, technical evaluations, environmental impact assessments, and public consultations before any rollout.
The pyrolysis proposal adds to a series of alternative waste management measures being considered by the city government.
Earlier, Mayor Nestor Archival announced plans to introduce black soldier fly (BSF) farming at the community level to help reduce organic waste ending up in landfills.
The initiative aims to convert food and farm waste into compost, fertilizer, and animal feed through insect-based processing.
Despite these efforts, Cebu City continues to face pressure to establish a long-term waste infrastructure system capable of reducing dependence on landfill disposal, especially after the closure of Binaliw landfill exposed gaps in the city’s waste management capacity.
Photo courtesy of Sangguniang Panglungsod Cebu City - Secretariat
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