EcoWaste Coalition Helps Out in MHS Brigada Eskwela, Pushes for Zero Waste and Non-Toxic Cleanup

To express its solidarity with the Department of Education (DepEd) and the education sector as a whole, the EcoWaste Coalition today participated in the Brigada Eskwela at Manila High School (MHS), one of the oldest schools in the nation’s capital, which drew enthusiastic participants from among the faculty, non-teaching personnel, parents, and students.

At the opening program preceding the cleanup, the EcoWaste Coalition led an interactive activity to introduce the basic principles and practices of ecological solid waste management (ESWM) in line with RA 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, and related DepEd policies, including Order No. 5, series of 2014.

To recall, the said DepEd order requires “every school (to) practice waste management principles such as minimization, specifically resource conservation and recovery, segregation at source, reduction, recycling, reuse, and composting, in order to promote environmental awareness and action among the students.”

“We are happy to partner with Manila High School, as well as with Barangay 657 and the Urban Planning and Community Development Division of the Intramuros Administration, in promoting ecological solid waste management during and beyond the Brigada Eskwela,” said Cris Luague, Jr., Project Officer, EcoWaste Coalition.  “Through our combined efforts, we can save resources, reduce waste, and keep our surroundings clean and safe from health-damaging pollutants.”

Also lending a hand towards a healthy and safe school environment was a contingent from Asian Coatings Philippines, Inc., led by technical marketing manager Cathy Parel, brand marketing assistant Red Magcase, and basketball player Luis Villegas, which donated 50 gallons of lead-safe Rain or Shine elastomeric and Alpha Chroma quick dry enamel paints as certified by US-based SCS Global Services.

To minimize trash and pollution during the Brigada Eskwela, the EcoWaste Coalition encouraged the participants to heed the following eco-reminders:

1.  Sort discards at source and do not mix or burn them.

2. Reuse, repurpose, or recycle non-biodegradable discards.

3. Compost garden waste and other biodegradable waste.

4.  Repair rather than throw away broken furniture and fixtures.

5.  Handle “special waste” such as busted fluorescent lamps, broken computers, and TVs with care and in an ecological manner.

6.  Avoid dry sanding or dry scraping painted surfaces to prevent the spread of lead dust.

The EcoWaste Coalition also took the opportunity to inform the parents present to pick safe school materials for their children.

“We encourage our parents to make use of their legal rights as consumers to avoid buying school materials, which may pose health risks to children such as those laden with hazardous chemicals,” said Aileen Lucero, National Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition.  “Every consumer has the right to product information, as well as the right to be protected against products that are harmful to health and life.”

As for the back-to-school shopping tips, Lucero suggested that parents should:

1.  Read the product information carefully.

2.  Avoid products made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastics, such as plastic envelopes and raincoats with a strong chemical odor.

3.  Avoid scented and food-shaped erasers, and choose “phthalate-free” or “PVC-free” erasers.

4.  Choose crayons that are labeled “non-toxic.”

5.  Go for unpainted stainless steel water bottles, unless the paint used is certified “lead safe.”

“With the start of a new school year, we wish all our students a very fruitful time to further learn and mold themselves as caring and smart persons with the essential support of their teachers in a zero waste and toxics-free school environment,” the EcoWaste Coalition concluded. (PR)