The day-long event saw nearly six tons of recyclable waste recovered – including plastics, paper, bottles, tin cans, used electric appliances, and computer equipment.

People from all walks of life, the young and the old, with some coming from far-flung villages, came to sell "junk" refrigerators, airconditioning units, washing machines, and computer equipment. Many said they didn’t know how to dispose of these items. They were delighted to learn that their hitherto worthless junk could be converted to cash.

Nenita Armendez sold 81 kilos of old newspapers and earned P486. Edgar Eturma got P885 for his "retired" refrigerator. The GenSan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, one of the co-convenors of the event, earned P4,000 for a busted airconditioning unit weighing 200 kilos. A local store brought over a thousand kilos of corrugated carton which fetched P4,000.

Main organizer of the event was the city government, in cooperation with the private sector and with technical help from the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Philippine Environmental Governance (EcoGov) Project.

Richard Atendido, chair of the city council’s Environment Committee, applauded the city government, NGOs, government agencies, the business sector, and residents for joining hands to make the Recyclable Waste Fair a huge success.

He urged everyone to continue the practice of segregating and recycling their waste, not just for the extra income, but to help protect the environment. "If we minimize waste by practicing segregation, we will reduce the hazard to the environment and to the people."

When GenSan City, with help from EcoGov, analyzed its solid waste problem in 2006, it found out that the city generated an average 170 metric tons of waste everyday. Over 80% of this waste can be recovered either as biodegradable material or as recyclables. The remainder is all that needs to go to the city’s dumpsite.

A highlight of the Recyclable Waste Fair was an On-the-Spot Logo and Slogan Making Contest. The winner was nursing student Pearlie Rose Jamerlan from the General Santos Doctors Medical School.

Her drawing and slogan ("Green, Safe, Clean") depicted the important role played by proper waste management in protecting not just GenSan’s environment but the health and well-being of the city’s residents. Pearlie’s winning entry becomes the official logo and slogan of the GenSan Solid Waste Management Program.

The program – with its emphasis on segregation at source, composting, and recycling -- has placed it among the more promising ones of its kind in Mindanao. USAID, through its EcoGov project, helps GenSan with vital technical assistance both for the city’s solid waste and wastewater management programs.