SBMA closes the loop on electronic waste

April 25, 2026 | 2:42pm

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT, Philippines — The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has launched a program to recover and recycle electronic and electrical wastes in the Subic Bay Freeport, aiming to close the loop on the fastest-growing waste stream and further promote a sustainable circular economy.

On Wednesday, April 22, Amethya P. Dela Llana, SBMA Senior Deputy Administrator for Regulatory Group, placed discarded computer peripherals into a collection box here during the Earth Day celebration in Subic to unveil the agency’s "Closing the Loop on E-Waste" program.

The e-waste recycling project, which took off from SBMA’s biennial Recyclables Collection Event (RCE), will be conducted in partnership with the Subic Bay Freeport Electronic Recyclers Association (SBF-ERA), a group of accredited waste handlers and recycling firms that support efforts to manage e-waste in Subic.

During the launch, SBMA Chairman and Administrator Jose Eduardo Aliño emphasized the role of the Subic community in waste management and urged every stakeholder to participate actively.

“Every recyclable collection event is a call to action,” Aliño said. 

He said that efforts to create a circular economy are part of SBMA’s “Green Port City” vision to make Subic the first carbon-neutral economic zone in the country.

According to Rossell L. Abuyo, officer in charge of the SBMA Ecology Center, about 88,347 kilograms, or 88.3 metric tons, of waste from electronic and electrical equipment (WEEE) have been collected through the RCE program.

WEEE items include discarded, broken, or end-of-life electronics equipment, electrical tools and toys, lighting equipment, and household appliances that require specialized collection and disposal.

Abuyo said the Subic Bay Freeport Zone generates from 60 to 65 metric tons of solid waste daily, with biodegradables making up about 52% and recyclables 28% of the municipal solid waste. 

The SBMA has encouraged locators and residents to segregate their trash to better manage waste disposal and enable recycling, she added.

Dela Llana said the WEEE recycling program will further sift recyclable wastes to ensure proper handling and reduce environmental impact, while jumpstarting the shift to a circular economy.

“Every recyclable or hazardous waste that you turn in is one contribution to saving the environment,” Dela Llana added.

SBMA’s RCE program, which is now in its ninth year, allows Subic business locators, residents, schools, as well as SBMA offices to donate or sell segregated common recyclables such as paper, plastics, metals, and hazardous wastes such as used oil, lead-acid batteries, busted bulbs and lamps, as well as e-waste. 

RCE proceeds are donated to various beneficiaries, including the ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation, local Ayta communities, and outsourced utility workers in the agency who receive groceries and other essentials from the program.

The flagship project, which made it to the Green Destinations 2025 Top 100 Stories, has turned Subic’s waste disposal problem into an integrated waste management system that creates resources, fosters community involvement, and supports social causes, said Dela Llana. 

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