Malvar, Batangas pioneers renewable refuse model
The Municipality of Malvar, Batangas, has cemented its status as a leader in sustainable governance by adopting a landmark, centralized waste-to-energy (WTE) strategy. This innovative approach is a direct response to the town’s rapid economic expansion and subsequent rise in municipal solid waste (MSW) generation.
In a first-of-its-kind arrangement for the region, Malvar has partnered with environmental technology firm Alterna Verde Corp. and the logistical expert Damascus Road Logistics Corp. for this operation.
Malvar is the first local government unit in south Luzon to fully commit to the centralized WTE model, setting a new, scalable standard for the entire region.
The core of the strategy is the decision to forgo new waste processing construction within Malvar. Instead, Damascus Road Logistics Corp. will handle the systematic hauling of all collected MSW to Alterna Verde Corp.’s main WTE facility in San Pablo City.
Green governance
Municipal Mayor Adm. Artemio Abu highlighted the project as a fulfillment of his green governance platform.
“We are not simply cleaning up our streets; we are securing a healthier, more prosperous tomorrow by turning a growing problem—our garbage—into a powerful solution: sustainable energy. We are proud to be the first in south Luzon to show that environmental responsibility and economic growth go hand-in-hand,” he said.
The waste stream from Malvar will be processed at the San Pablo City facility using Alterna Verde’s proprietary Sustainable Environmental Resource Re-genesis System (SERRS™) technology. This system employs bio-methanation, a natural, carbon-neutral process that transforms organic waste into valuable by-products.
The process leverages anaerobic digestion to capture bio-methane, or Renewable Natural Gas, which is subsequently used to generate electricity.
By choosing this technology over conventional disposal methods, Malvar is diverting massive amounts of waste from landfills, creating a clean energy source, and also generating organic soil conditioner—a useful co-product for local farmers.
Gary Llanes, AVP – strategic projects, said, “Our goal is to not just manage waste, but to eliminate the concept of waste entirely, seeing every discarded material as a potential asset.”
