From garbage to resource: Marcos wants Marikina’s waste system replicated

Floyd Brenz., Philippine Canadian Inquirer
September 07, 2026

Photo Courtesy: PCO

PHILIPPINES – What if garbage could be treated not as a problem, but as a resource worth recovering?

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. wants other cities to take a cue from Marikina, which he praised as a model for circular solid waste management during a visit to the city’s waste recovery facility on Monday.

Marikina’s system puts emphasis on waste segregation, recovery and recycling, with its centralized Materials Recovery Facility processing waste collected across the city’s barangays. The city has also enforced a strict “no segregation, no collection” policy.

The approach aims to keep more waste from ending up in disposal sites while recovering materials that can still be reused or recycled.

For Marcos, the goal is to take what works in Marikina and bring the model to other local governments, turning waste management into a more sustainable and resource-efficient system.

The push comes as cities continue to grapple with growing volumes of garbage, clogged waterways and the environmental costs of improper waste disposal.

If replicated successfully, Marikina’s experience could offer other cities a simple lesson: the answer to a growing garbage problem may not be throwing more away, but finding value in what is thrown out.