MMDA hands over 250 illegal campaign materials to Ecowaste

MANILA, Philippines - Some 250 pieces of illegal election campaign tarpaulin streamers and posters that were removed by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) were handed over Thursday to the enviromental group Ecowaste Coalition to be reused as tents and bags.

The 250 tarpaulins and posters form part of the seized seven tons of illegal campaign materials that were removed by the MMDA during the past nine days in the implementation of its "Oplan Baklas" drive.

MMDA General Manager Corazon Jimenez and MMDA Metro Parkway Clearing Group Francis Martinez turned over the tarpaulins to the environmental watchdog group, which is working with the government to promote “Basura-Free Elections.”

The tarpaulins were among the truckloads of illegal campaign materials removed by the MMDA from areas not classified by the Commission on Elections as non-common poster areas such as foot bridges, lamp posts, cable wires and trees following the launch of the “Operation Baklas” last February 9.

“The seized campaign materials are valuable resources that should be put to good use,” said Aileen Lucero, coordinator of EcoWaste Coalition.

“It will be such a huge waste if these illegal election paraphernalia are buried in landfills.  We can and we should find appropriate uses for them,” she added.

Lucero said tarpaulins can be repurposed into coin purses, pouch bags, grocery bags and even beach bags.

Tarpaulins can also be sewn into mail and shoe organizers, worker’s aprons, tool belts, laundry baskets and even as receptacles for office or household recyclables, she said.

The EcoWaste Coalition will collaborate with community-based organizations in making prototypes that can inspire others to reuse and recycle election campaign tarpaulins. 

Lucero was quick to point out that tarpaulins cannot be repurposed for certain applications that could contaminate food or expose young children to chemicals of concern such as cadmium and lead.

“Reusing and recycling tarpaulins would have been easier and less complicated if they do not contain toxic chemicals that are bad for human health and the environment,” she said.

Before sending the tarpaulins to partner groups for repurposing, the EcoWaste Coalition will first screen them for toxic metals through a portable X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) device.

“We’ll use the chemical data to be generated to push for a regulation that will restrict, if not eliminate, toxic additives in plastic tarpaulins,” Lucero said.

“Removing such toxic additives is necessary to make tarpaulins easily reusable and recyclable and less a threat to public health and the ecosystems,” she added.

Meanwhile, Martinez said the bulk of the illegally posted campaign materials were removed from Manila and Quezon City. – With Marco Concepcion, Joshua Patlin