OCEANAGOLD (Philippines) Inc. (OGP) said Wednesday that it was teaming up with Holcim Group’s waste management arm, Geocycle Philippines, to co-process residual waste from the Didipio mine.
OceanagGold and Geocycle signed a memorandum of agreement covering the hauling of residual waste from the Didipio mine in Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya, to a co-processing facility in Norzagaray, Bulacan.
OceanaGold will cover the hauling costs, and the partnership will initially run for two years.
The initiative is expected to divert up to 70 percent of Didipio’s residual waste from its sanitary landfill, extending the landfill’s lifespan and avoiding immediate capital expenditures for new waste infrastructure.
The operational life of the landfill is expected to be extended to 10.8 years from 1.8 years, resolving an imminent capacity crisis next year.
The initiative is also expected to generate up to $156,000 or P6.16 million in potential savings by eliminating the immediate need to construct a new, separate landfill facility.
Through cement kiln co-processing, qualified waste materials, including paper, plastics, textiles and packaging, are recovered and used as alternative fuel and raw materials in the production of cement.
OceanaGold said the initiative would build on ongoing efforts to improve waste management throughout its operations.
In 2023, the company started converting biodegradable waste into compost and introduced plastic densification technology to recycle specific plastic waste streams into reusable items.
As part of its “Zero Waste to Landfill” goal, OceanaGold said it would continue to look for practical solutions that lessen reliance on landfills and improve sustainable waste management throughout its operations.
The company is a gold and copper producer and is a subsidiary of multinational mining firm OceanaGold, which is headquartered in Canada and listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange.
OceanaGold Philippines shares fell by 30 centavos, or 0.89 percent, to P33.30 apiece on Wednesday.
