The Ayala Group of Companies yesterday held its Waste Exchange program at the Ayala Center Cebu to encourage waste diversion techniques and showcase products made out of recycled materials.

The exchange is a one-day collection activity wherein the public can bring them their recyclables. These are weighed and the recyclers pay the seller the amount corresponding to the volume of recyclables.

Cebu Holdings Inc. president Francis Monera said that Ayala will showcase the waste market fair as their contribution to the ongoing campaign to encourage recycling.

"We also see waste exchange as an entrepreneurial activity through which we hope to empower our neighboring barangays. We hope that our neighboring barangays will also generate income from collecting recyclables and developing products from waste like what barangay Luz did in their Kwarta sa Basuar program." Said Monera.

Cebu City generates at least 500,000 tons of garbage daily and 20 percent of this is recyclable.

Waste exchange is no ordinary waste market where recycler buys recyclables from the public. It has a unique feature which sets it apart from other waste markets- the active involvement of six of our neighboring barangays, our merchants from Ayala Center Cebu and locators from Cebu Business Park. Our Cebu Business Park neighbor-barangays Carreta, Luz, Camputhaw, Hipodromo, Mabolo and barangay Apas, with their support, we hope to make this project sustainable and a regular mall activity.