Zero Waste Philippines will hold series of consultations nationwide within a year to come up with a National Agenda and strategies

Ruth P. Briones, the Lead Convenor of the Zero Waste Philippines' Project said on 7 October 2010 before representatives from local government units (towns, cities and provinces) nationwide at the LS Virata Hall of the Development Academy of the Philippines' Headquarters in Pasig City that the Agenda of the project is to come up with a national agenda and strategies that will effect 35 percent reduction of Philippines ‘ greenhouse gas emissions and 100 percent waste elimination.

Briones, the Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Greenergy Solutions Inc. had presented a ten-year integrated waste elimination plan based with the concept of waste not as a "rubbish" but as a "resource".

Waste, Briones said should not be " managed" but " eliminated, reused and revalued" and with the 30,000 tons of municipal solid waste collected everyday nationwide, climate change and environment should be the focus not the dumps.

With the Plan, Zero Waste Philippines' Project means designing and managing products and processes to eliminate the volume of waste and materials as close as possible, conserve and recover all resources and not burn or bury them. It noted the identification of long-term infrastructure needs to provide economically and environmentally efficient waste management services like Landfill Remediation Technologies and Facilities, Waste-to-Energy Technologies and Facilities, Material Recovery and Energy Facilities, Industrial Waste Treatment Technologies and Recycling and composting programs as proposed strategies.

The project will endeavor to come up with series of Forums and workshops nationwide within one (1) year in order that a concerted National Zero Waste Agenda be finalized to be presented to the executive, and legislative departments of the government.

As part of the one-year strategy, there will be created a nationwide online Zero Waste Survey. Based on nationwide input, develop Zero Waste messaging, branding, and logo. A " How Can I Go Zero?" public education campaign nationwide will start in schools and the creation of community based Climate Change Teams and develop Green Teams in all Barangays to improve, develop and build green efforts.

Briones, and former Congressman Neric Acosta are the convenors of the Zero Waste Philippines'Forum, with Anita Celdran (Endesa Carbono), Techi Capellan (Swine Board of the Philippines) and Bernardo Tadeo (Full Advantage) as sponsors.(Juris Nicholo.Briones)