Prime Infra, through its waste management arm Prime Integrated Waste Solutions (PWS), has called for stronger collaboration between the public and private sectors in order to scale up the waste management industry in the Philippines.

Speaking at the Environment and Natural Resources Day 2025 held on June 5 in Makati City, Cara Peralta, Market Sector Lead for Waste at Prime Infra, highlighted that with the right level of private sector engagement and support from both government agencies and local government units (LGUs), waste management in the country can become a fully industrialized and sustainable sector.

“We can make waste management a real industrial business,” Peralta said during a panel discussion focused on this year’s theme: Ending Global Plastic Pollution.

Peralta acknowledged DENR Secretary Ma. Toni Yulo-Loyzaga for her leadership, saying it has given investors the confidence to pursue projects in the waste sector despite its inherent risks and operational challenges.

Secretary Loyzaga, in her keynote remarks, outlined the country’s urgent plastic waste problem. She cited that the Philippines generates 61,000 metric tons of solid waste daily, with 24% being plastic, a third of which ends up in landfills and dumpsites. She called for more infrastructure investments in segregation, recovery, and recycling, while also encouraging private partners like Prime Infra to take “swift, bold, and impactful action.”

PWS currently operates two large-scale materials recovery facilities (MRFs) in Cebu and Pampanga. Both of which focus on segregation, sorting, and recycling. Among its waste-to-value initiatives are the production of Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) from shredded plastic as a substitute for coal in cement manufacturing, and the processing of post-consumer plastic bottles for recycling and plastic credit generation.

Peralta also advocated for the expansion of business-to-business (B2B) offtake agreements to improve market access for upcycled materials. She also called for more robust enforcement of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 (R.A. 9003).

Looking to the future, PWS plans to invest in converting processed waste into sustainable fuels that could be used by private industries such as shipping and aviation. “Our goal really is to make fuels that can be consumed by the private market,” Peralta said.

Prime Infra, led by businessman Enrique K. Razon Jr., positions itself as an important infrastructure investor focused on sustainability in energy, clean water, and waste management. Its waste sector strategy is anchored on creating value from waste while supporting broader national decarbonization and inclusive growth goals.

Follow Power Philippines on Facebook and LinkedIn or join our Viber community for more updates.