Environmental group Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (IDIS) reiterated its firm opposition against the proposed Waste-to-Energy (WTE) incineration project in Davao City arguing that the project conflicts with Davao City’s transition toward a circular economy.
A public scoping for the project is scheduled on April 15, 2026 at the barangay gymnasium of Barangay Biao Escuela, as part of the environmental assessment process under the Philippine Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) System led by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau (EMB).
The scoping process is meant to identify potential environmental and social impacts while ensuring participation from affected communities and stakeholders.
“While this process is intended to assess impacts and uphold public participation, we maintain our firm opposition to the project,” IDIS said in a statement.
The group emphasized that the city has been advancing waste management strategies anchored on circular economy principles prioritizing waste reduction, reuse, recycling, and resource efficiency supported by partnerships such as the European Union-Philippines (EU-PH) programs.
“The establishment of a WTE facility in Davao City runs counter to the city’s ongoing Circular Economy efforts,” IDIS said.
Citing a 2024 study by Hernandez-Romero et al., IDIS noted that incineration, particularly of plastics and other non-biogenic waste, destroys material value and prevents these from being reintegrated into the production cycle.
“Among WTE methods, incineration of plastics and other non-biogenic wastes limits material circularity the most,” the group added.
IDIS also raised concerns about the potential impact on the local circular economy sector, including informal waste workers, junkshops, and recycling enterprises that rely on recoverable materials for livelihood.
“WTE will affect their current systems, resources, trade, and livelihood,” the group said.
The group pointed out that circular economy models aim to extend the lifespan of the city’s sanitary landfill in New Carmen by diverting waste and converting it into reusable resources. As these practices expand, residual waste is expected to decrease potentially eliminating the need for WTE technologies.
In contrast, IDIS warned that WTE facilities depend on a steady volume of waste to sustain operations, creating a policy mismatch.
“Instead of encouraging waste reduction, recycling, and composting, WTE systems weaken these efforts by competing for the same materials that should be recovered and reused,” IDIS said.
The group further cautioned that adopting WTE may shift the city toward a “take-make-dispose-burn” model, which runs counter to long-term sustainability goals.
“We call for the public scoping session to fully discuss these critical concerns and ensure that affected sectors are properly heard and accommodated,” IDIS added.
It can be recalled that the city government of Davao turned to a WTE project as a long-term solution to its growing waste problem, after the sanitary landfill in Barangay New Carmen exceeded its capacity as early as 2016.
In partnership with the Japanese government, the city aims to address the pressures of rapid urbanization and rising waste generation, with daily garbage output now reaching around 700 to 800 tons and up to 1,000 tons during major events.
