City turns market waste into compost

The Cebu City government is ramping up its push for sustainable urban governance, demonstrating that disciplined waste segregation and composting can transform market refuse into a resource that supports farms, gardens, and environmental protection.

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What began at the Carbon Market—where biodegradable waste is shredded and processed into compost—is now being positioned by Mayor Nestor Archival as the foundation of a citywide reform that will eventually extend to households and business establishments.

City officials said the initiative marks a potential turning point in Cebu's longstanding struggle with solid waste management. For decades, public markets and barangays have grappled with mounting refuse, much of which ended up in overburdened landfills and contributed to pollution. Previous segregation efforts were often hampered by limited infrastructure and inconsistent compliance, while composting remained confined to small-scale projects.

Mayor Archival's program seeks to institutionalize what were once fragmented initiatives by embedding segregation and composting into the city's daily operations.

Assistant head of the City Agriculture Department (CAD) Arlie Gesta, who oversees the project, said the process begins with strict separation of biodegradable waste from plastics and bottles.