The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) are upbeat about raising the young generation’s awareness of proper solid waste management via its new mascot and mobile game app.

On Tuesday, the agency launched the Pinas: Basura Buster (PBB) Mascot and Basura Buster mobile game during the Eastern Visayas Solid Waste Management (SWM) Advocacy Launch at the Summit Hotel here.

EMB regional director Reynaldo Barra said the campaign is to teach children on proper waste segregation, recycling, and disposal “the proper and fun way.”

“We want to build a strong foundation on proper waste management while they are still young. The targets are children and youth since they will later serve as future ambassadors of solid waste management,” Barra said in his speech.

PBB is DENR’s solid waste management mascot and is the image of DENR’s SWM program, which aims to attract support from the youth.

PBB entertained the participants with a lively dance number together with the EMB staff. They danced to DENR’s solid waste management advocacy song “Kung Walang Aksaya, Masaya.”

To further strengthen awareness of solid waste management in this digital age, the DENR developed the Basura Buster mobile game, which is an Android-based mobile gaming application designed for kids five to eight years old to “teach them proper waste segregation in a fun way.”

The gaming app is one of the projects under the campaign, and the public can now download it for free from the Google Play Store. (PNA)