Characterization of Waste Generated by Households in the Poblacion of Irosin, Sorsogon: A Case Study

Improper solid waste management is a common concern for developing municipalities in the Philippines like Irosin, Sorsogon. However, addressing this problem requires informed decisions that cannot be made without current information on the generation of solid waste. Recognizing this information gap, the researchers conducted a waste analysis and characterization study to determine the per capita waste generation rate and the composition of waste generated by the population. The study found that the population's per capita waste generation rate is 0.331 kgs/day, consisting of 62.52% biodegradable, 23.51% residuals, 9.56% recyclable and 4.41% special waste. The researcher also found that a significant portion of the total waste collected per day (72.09%) could be diverted. Population projections also indicate that the daily waste generation per capita could increase by 139.95 kg/day by 2033. Based on these findings, the study recommends how the local government can handle concerns about solid waste management. The results indicate that the local government should focus on waste separation at the source and waste diversion to alleviate the municipality's waste problems. Decentralized composting and private-public partnerships were among the recommendations made.