Firms team up to curb plastic waste in Cebu Waters

PRIME Infrastructure Capital Inc. (Prime Infra), through its social development arm Prime Infra Foundation and waste management unit Prime Integrated Waste Solutions (PWS), has partnered with Finland-based RiverRecycle to bolster efforts in tackling plastic pollution in Cebu City. As part of the initiative, RiverRecycle has deployed a boom system along a critical section of the Kinalumsan River in Barangay Mambaling.

The system is designed to capture floating waste—especially plastic—before it reaches the ocean. It is estimated to prevent roughly 97,000 kilograms of waste annually, including over 13,000 kilograms of plastic debris, from polluting marine ecosystems. Cara Peralta, Prime Infra’s Market Sector lead for waste, emphasized the ongoing challenge of improper waste disposal, particularly in waterways.



“There’s so much to work on in terms of waste management and proper disposal in the country, and part of that involves the collection of waste. When you partner with companies like RiverRecycle, which focuses on different aspects of logistics, such as the rivers where waste accumulates, then it is in perfect synergy with what we do at PWS,” she said. PWS operates a modern, high-capacity waste management facility in Cebu City capable of processing up to 1,000 tons of waste daily.

The facility prioritizes segregation, recycling and recovery, thereby reducing landfill dependency and curbing pollution in rivers and other water bodies. RiverRecycle founder and chief executive officer Anssi Mikola noted that stopping waste before it enters oceans is crucial in fighting plastic pollution, as plastics eventually break down into microplastics that are harmful and extremely difficult to clean up. “That’s why we are focusing on rivers, as they are the last manageable point to remove waste before it becomes an insurmountable problem,” he said.

RiverRecycle also develops technology to convert low-value plastic waste into usable products, aiming to support the circular economy. A circular economy is a way of using things that reduces waste and makes the most of resources. Instead of the usual “take, use, throw away” system, a circular economy is more like “make, use, reuse, repair, recycle”—so things last longer, and less gets thrown out.

With two of the country’s only automated materials recovery facilities—in Cebu and Pampanga—PWS is helping meet the rising demand for sustainable waste solutions in fast-growing urban centers. Its facilities use advanced equipment such as vibrating sieves, magnetic separators, and baling systems to optimize resource recovery, minimize landfill volume and reduce methane emissions from decomposing organic waste. Prime Infra is Enrique K.

Razon Jr.’s infrastructure arm that focuses on building assets that support the most urgent sustainability priorities - energy, access to clean water and waste management. Earlier, the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) announced it envisions Cebu City to be the first in the Philippines to achieve zero plastic waste contribution, as part of its broader commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability beyond climate change.

CCCI president Jay Yuvallos said that discussions between CCCI and RiverRecycle are already underway to bring the plan to fruition. / KOC.