Geographic Information Systems-Based Decision Support System for municipal solid waste management of Tuguegarao, Philippines

A Decision Support System (DSS) was developed to analyze and simulate the solid waste management system of Tuguegarao City using Geographic Information Systems and Stella modeling software. It was parameterized using data and information on population, per capita waste generation, average annual growth rates of population and solid waste composition in order to predict the volume of waste generated, compostable, recyclable, collected, uncollected, uncollected waste and compost under five waste management system scenarios. Tuguegarao City with a population of 67,297 for urban barangay [village] and 58,326 for rural barangays generated a total of 1,012 cu m of household solid waste weekly in 2007, equivalent to a rate of 0.5 kg/cap/day and 0.42 kg/cap/day for urban and rural barangays, respectively. The commercial establishments, institutions and market generated at a rate of 384 cu m, 209 cu m and 122 cum of solid waste weekly or an equivalent total waste generation at a rate of 1,745 cum/week. The weekly solid waste consumption was: 279 cu m (16%) paper, 105 cu m (6%) plastic container, 70 cu m (4%) metal, 70 cu m (4%) and 279 cu m (16%) as recyclable waste; yard waste, 506 cu m (29%) food waste, 122 cu m (7%) other organics as compostable waste; 209 cu m (12%) other plastics, 70 cu m (4%) inert, 17 cu m (1%) hazardous waste and 17 cu m (1%) special waste as residual waste. The DSS was used to search for best waste management options among five scenarios. A decision to continue the existing practice of solid waste management over time (Scenario A) could result to high volume of uncollected waste from 333 cum/wk to 401 cum/wk by 2015 and low recovery of compostable and recyclable waste from 92 cum/wk and 171 cu m/wk, respectively. The collective system can be improved through re-assigning garbage trucks collection zones (Scenario B) reducing uncollected waste from 333 cu m/wk to 82 cu m/wk by 2015. The low recovery can be addressed by composting market waste (Scenario C) resulting to waste conversion from 92 cu m/wk to 237 cu m/wk by year 2015 and by recycling institutional waste (Scenario D) resulting to waste recovery from 171 cu m/wk to 225 cu m/wk by year 2015. Processing all generated waste (Scenario E) can recover waste from 92 cu m/wk to 1002 cu m/wk of compostable and 171 cum/wk to 617 cu m/wk of recyclables by year 2015, and zero uncollected waste by year 2011. To address the environmentally unacceptable burning and disposal of voluminous waste, solid waste management option for the city, Scenario E is recommended, provided that generators in all sectors will cooperate, there will be re-assignment of garbage truck collection zones, and adequate composting facilities will be made available.