WHAT HAPPENS TO THE BOTTLES OZAMIZ RESIDENTS THROW AWAY? HERE’S HOW THEY’RE BEING TURNED INTO SOMETHING USEFUL

From discarded glass bottles to pavers and waste-derived vermicast, an ongoing project in Ozamiz City shows how waste can be given a second life.

                      via Bhal Abad Cabrera | August 17, 2026

OZAMIZ CITY, Misamis Occidental — What happens to a glass bottle after it is thrown away?

In Ozamiz City, some discarded bottles are taking a different path.

Glass bottles collected across the city are being processed and transformed into pavers now being used in the ongoing beautification near the Ozamiz City Hall Covered Court.

Personnel of the Solid Waste and Environment Management Office (SWEMO) are also using vermicast produced from waste to support planting and greenery in the area.

From waste to resource: the initiative uses waste-processing equipment acquired during the administration of former Mayor, now Congressman Ando Oaminal, including a glass pulverizer, plastic shredder, and brick and hollow-block making machines.

The investments were continued during the administration of former Mayor, now Congressman Atty. Indy Oaminal.

Today, the Kanunay Asenso Ozamiz administration under Mayor Sam Norman Go Fuentes continues to utilize the equipment in practical projects.

The story is ultimately about continuity — public investments made by one administration can continue serving communities under another.

A second life for waste: The project shows that waste management does not have to end with collection and disposal.

A glass bottle can become part of a paver. Organic waste can become vermicast. Plastic can be recovered and processed.

The approach also highlights the importance of proper waste segregation. When recyclable and biodegradable materials are separated at the source, they become easier to recover and process.

For residents, this means that responsible waste management does not stop with putting garbage outside the house. It starts with recognizing that some materials we consider waste can still have another purpose.

The beautification project near the City Hall Covered Court therefore serves as a practical reminder that environmental programs can turn everyday waste into something visible and useful.

More importantly, the project shows how government investments can have value beyond their initial purpose when equipment is maintained, utilized, and integrated into continuing community programs.

For the city, the goal is not simply to make public spaces cleaner and more attractive. It is also to demonstrate that responsible waste management can become part of everyday governance — from collection and processing to actual reuse.

What we throw away may not always be the end of the story. In Ozamiz, some waste is being given a second life — and a new place in the city.