Alternatives eyed for solid waste problem

PLASTIC molding machines maybe an alternative method for Baguio City to recycle more than 50 percent plastic solid waste it produces daily.

During the weekly ‘Talakayan sa Environment Code’, Environment Management Bureau - Cordillera director Reynaldo Degamo explained molding machines alternative is a welcome development to look for ways on how to reuse plastic waste generated in the city.

“We encourage alternative technology because of the big volume of plastic waste the city produces

which can still be recycled into other plastic products such as tables and chairs. This is one of the programs which we recommend not in Baguio City but to nearby local government units,” Degamo said.

Plastic forming machine, or plastic molding machine is developed on the basis of rubber machinery and metal diecasting machine.

Plastic forming machines were rapidly developed until the 1930s, with the gradual commercialization of plastic molding equipment, injection molding and extrusion molding became the most common industrialized processing methods.

“The cost of a plastic molding machine varies depending on its capacity and size aside from what specific design we would like the end product to be, it would probably cost around P1 million, the price would be higher than the shredders that we bought because the process will melt the plastic before going into the molding process,” Degamo explained.

If the city decides on purchasing plastics molding facility, Degamo reminded this facility to be raised in the outskirts of the city since the method would undergo a melting process.

“A plastic molding facility should be placed in a commercial area and not in a residential area. If the city should decide to acquire such facilities, it should first study on how many machines it would need to purchase depending on the need of the city,” Degamo added.