PANSININ ANG PANISIN: A Case Study on Food Waste Generation in Low-Income Households in Barangay Singkamas, Makati City

Abstract

Biodegradable wastes account for almost half of Municipal Solid Waste at 52.31% in the Philippines as of 2018 and Makati City’s low-income residential sector’s kitchen or food waste composes 31.9% of the total waste in the city. The study examined five households (chosen using purposive design) with one household per street in Barangay Singkamas, Makati City. The comparison of results from pre-collection and post-collection questionnaires helped to identify the causes of food waste creation in three food consumption cycle processes, namely: (1) Pre-consumption, (2) post-consumption; and (3) Disposal. The causes stated were the household budget (with the addition of social interventions such as government and non-government monetary and non-monetary aid), store categories, and ways of storing food. In the waste composition analysis section of the study, the weight of food waste was compared. The participant interviews concluded the factors of food waste creation and demonstrated the potential reasons such as the frequency of food wastage, participant preferences on food spoilage, waste collection schedule awareness and waste disposal accessibility. The results of the link between the causes and drivers of food waste creation were used to create a causal map.