Total Recyclables Collected: 327, 656 kilos
Eco Kolek, EU-UNDP mobilize grassroots clean-up in Puerto Princesa; recovers 23.3 kg of recyclables
Project Zacchaeus (PZC) concluded its month-long recyclable collection operations for April across three pilot zones in Barangay Sicsican, deploying 27 frontline waste workers to execute and assess community-level waste diversion.
Mitchell GImena
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan — Project Zacchaeus (PZC) concluded its month-long recyclable collection operations for April across three pilot zones in Barangay Sicsican, deploying 27 frontline waste workers to execute and assess community-level waste diversion.
The deployment is part of the organization's Eco Kolek program, which aims to establish a functional circular economy at the barangay level. Supported by ongoing partnerships with local government units and international bodies like the EU-PH Green Economy Partnership and OCEAN Grants, the initiative tracks both the volume of recovered plastics and the behavioral shifts of participating households.
Operations covered Purok Mahogany, Purok Firetree, and Purok Talisay. A joint team of 27 "Eco Warriors" and six PZC staff conducted regular house-to-house and establishment-level collections throughout the month. The physical collection was conducted alongside an information campaign to remind residents of proper at-source segregation practices.
Operational realities and field challenges
While the month-long operation successfully diverted recyclables from local landfills, the operations department highlighted several ground-level challenges that affected collection efficiency.
Field coordinators reported that variable household schedules disrupted collection routes, as residents were frequently unavailable during designated pickup times. Furthermore, recovery volumes fluctuated significantly, with several partner establishments and households producing limited or no recyclables on scheduled dates.
The operations team also documented structural constraints. Limited transportation resources and extreme weather conditions—ranging from heavy rain to severe heat—directly impacted the mobility of the collection fleet across the target districts.
Adjusting the behavioral framework
Beyond logistics, the April deployment revealed that many households are still in the early stages of adjusting to strict waste segregation. The program's operations office noted that continuous public education campaigns are required to improve household compliance and resource recovery rates.
Despite these field conditions, the local workforce maintained their collection routes and completed the month's operational targets. PZC is currently utilizing the data gathered during this period—including household mapping and cluster profiling—to recalibrate its logistics and improve the efficiency of future waste recovery operations in the city.
