SENATOR Imee Marcos on Tuesday alerted the Department of Education, local government units and schools on a creeping environmental problem as printed self-learning modules will begin to pile up when classes resume next week.

“Imagine the multiplier effect with the number of modules for each subject, the number of subjects for each kid, the number of kids in each home, and the number of homes in each community, and you will end up with mountains of trash,” Marcos said.

She stressed the need for waste disposal systems that will facilitate the recycling of discarded paper not only in highly urbanized cities but also in areas where printed modules will be used.

“Since paper is totally biodegradable, a recycling plan must be put in place to reduce the need to dump discarded paper in landfills,” the senator said. “As it is, a good bulk of landfills is made up of waste paper. With our new methods of education, its toll on the environment cannot be underestimated.”

Marcos said that the growth of landfills has been a perennial problem that local government units are constantly looking to control.

“Homes tend to be less strict than schools in implementing waste segregation measures. With schools half closed, systematic waste segregation of used learning materials will be reduced,” she said.

Marcos proposed a program to lend laptops or allow their purchase through installments for students with limited means.

“The accumulated cost of paper, ink and printing through semester after semester could add up to the cost of a mini laptop,” she explained.

Also, Marcos proposed that mothers who have to quit work to become surrogate teachers to their children should be included in the government’s welfare subsidies and job creation programs.