Prime Infrastructure (Prime Infra) has strongly refuted the “malicious disinformation” spread by Metro Clark Waste Management Corp. (MCWM) against its waste management subsidiary, Prime Integrated Waste Solutions (PWS), during a media briefing on June 20, 2024.
In a statement, Prime Infra said one of MCWM’s claims involves a misleading photo they presented as PWS’ operational facility in Cebu City, even falsely referring to it “like Payatas.”
“To clarify for MCWM and its Technical Director, Holger Holst, the photo can easily be traced back to a Reuters special report from 2021 and is actually of a landfill in Indonesia,” the statement reads.
(See photo here:
https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/environment-plastic-cement/)
Prime Infra provided accurate images, for Holst’s reference, of its Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in Cebu City taken on June 21.
Prime Infra said PWS implemented a transformation strategy in the said facility
upon acquiring it in 2022.
“We are currently evaluating our options with regard to pursuing legal action for potential defamation,” Prime Infra said.
It said PWS’ approach uses a high-tech process to sort, segregate, and process waste based on short-term and medium-term usage.
“We commit to recover and recycle 80% to 90% of total waste received in our facility, with residuals as the only items to be baled and stored with potential to be used in the future,” it added.
As for its MRF in Pampanga, Prime Infra wishes to point out that the facility will run four lines, with a total capacity of up to 5,000 tons per day. These lines, they ssaid, also account for redundancy and unforeseen surges in waste (e.g., during holidays and typhoons).
Prime Infra said that specifically, each line, comprising a magnetic separator, vibrating sieve, air density separator, and baler system, can handle up to 2,000 tons in a 24-hour operation. Municipal solid waste composition is heterogenous with certain ranges for specific categories, such as organics – estimated at 25% to 30% (moisture <40%) and inorganics at 65% to 75% (moisture <20%).
They said that based on actual test runs, a sample mass balance computation for a 1,000-ton-per-day processing line would result as such: moisture losses during processing to account for 15% (150 tons), organics sorting and baling – 40% (400 tons), recyclables – 5% (50 tons), refuse derived fuel/plastics – 20% (200 tons), and residuals – 20% (200 tons).
“Thus, it is possible to process at least 80% of the incoming wastes. Our facilities—both in Cebu City and Pampanga—will continue to optimize and upgrade as they operate and understand the waste streams over time,” Prime Infra said.
It also said PWS’ operations align with policy measures promoting a circular economy, such as the Extended Producer Responsibility and Renewable Energy laws, enabling them to contribute globally to the battle against plastic pollution and methane emissions.
“Our modern MRFs also amplify the growing awareness of efficient waste management and promote employment in our host communities. With PWS, we affirm our commitment to industrializing waste management in the Philippines to respond to the increasing demand for proper waste management and resource recovery solutions,” Prime Infra said.
