The UN Sustainable Development Goals have given birth to more environmentally mindful ways of doing business. Half a century ago, companies focused mostly on innovations, profit and their people. Today those 3 variables are bounded by taking care of the world's natural resources. All of this has given birth to more circular and green models of doing business.
A NECESSARY BUSINESS TRANSITION
While the growth of these businesses is necessary, it is also a difficult uphill battle as the combination of new technologies (that are sometimes more expensive) and new behaviors (that may seem inconvenient at first) are a barrier to success. In 2016, there were less than 10 enterprises looking at recycling and waste reduction in the Philippines - with many calling these businesses “advocacy”. However, with microplastics getting into everyone's salt, water and fish, plus the degradation of tourism destinations due to waste, and unnecessary flooding due to polluted waterways, this advocacy has turned into necessity.
MULTI PILLAR SOLUTION:
In September and October 2024, piloted by PARMS, Legacy Foundation, MAD Travel and powered by Coca Cola, an innovative program to clean up but to also grow the circular and green economy was piloted. The event was called Level Up Clean Up.
Unlike standard clean ups, this program's aim was to educate and inspire participants into action by changing behaviors that can help reduce waste and recycle. The program was meant to be a “learn by doing” event.
First, the event had high level educators, featuring 4x TEDx speaker Rafael Dionisio talking about waste reduction, segregation and recycling. A discussion on the effects of waste on our food prices and industries was helpful in pushing people to act.
Second, the event featured recyclers and waste reduction companies that could help participants and their organizations change behaviors and reduce garbage one item at a time. While plastic waste was a focal point, waste as a whole was discussed because when people segregate but cannot dispose of all the waste properly, they get demotivated. In response to this, the following enterprises were featured and represented -complete with contact information, how they recycle and products and services:
WASTE RECYCLING
1. Ecouling - recycling biodegradable solid waste like coconuts into charcoal reducing trees cut
2. Sentinnel Upcycling - using plastic trash from places like Zambales and Manila Bay and turning them into trash cans, pallets, crates and other items
3. Junk Not - using plastic and wood waste and turning them into award winning furniture and design pieces.
4. ALON and Araw - this org empowers young girls in Zambales to develop sports skills and clean the environment while recycling the plastic sachets and other waste into medals, key chains, pillows, etc.
5. Humble Sustainability - recycling E waste such as computers, washing machines, phones, etc.
6. river Recycle - taking trash from the pasig river and turning them into plastic boards for interior design purposes.
7. Precious Plastic - recycling plastic into lumber like logs that can be used for pool decks, fences, and other forms of construction
WASTE REDUCTION
1. Continuiti - a fashionable dress and clothing rental store that gives Gen Z access to fashionable clothing at 5-10% of the cost, allowing them to rent items that they would probably only use once - and thereby reducing fashion waste. (Imagine the polyester prevented!)
2. Ecoshift - a refilling and plastic conscious personal care store that allows you to skip plastic packaging with your soap, shampoo and other skincare needs. They have prevented millions of pcs of plastic packaging from entering natural spaces.
3. Ripple X - a distributor of dishwashing and shampoo that empowers sari sari stores to be refilleries. This enterprise gives them the start up kit to do refills at a fraction of the cost of regular sachet products. They have over 1000 stores.
4. AKO packaging - provides real biodegradable sando bags and take out food containers that give you convenience but do not harm nature. Their bags are made of cassava.
5. Bambuhay - providing bamboo toothbrushes that biodegrade so that you can clean your teeth without making the environment dirty.
Finally, the event was catered but with ZERO PLASTIC in the outdoor picnic set up, showcasing how events can be run sustainably - using metal cans (Coke), glass bottles (Summit) and biodegradable packaging (AKO).
At the end of each program, participants excitedly took photos of business and contact information and took home samples and ideas of how they could participate in the transition of a more circular economy through various means.
While the program is still in its infancy, participants left hopeful that they found other like minded people and the accompanying solutions to their waste challenges. We expect that in the coming years, more waste reduction and recycling solutions will be on display.
RECYCLING AND REDUCTION TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE:
In Oct and Nov 2024, six storms hit the Philippines one after the other, with four of them active at the same time - climate change has given hard hitting storms even stronger punches and a faster turn around.
While it may seem unrelated - how humanity manages waste actually impacts how much stronger climate catastrophes become. Every time we recycle, we reduce the need for new resources to make products such as plastic, metal or wood. Recycling existing materials means less carbon dioxide is produced in the process. Every time we switch from disposable to reusable, e.g. a disposable cup to a reusable glass cup - we are able to also reduce waste and the carbon dioxide that is connected to the production of that item. In the level up clean up event, waste reduction initiatives of the food alone reduced carbon waste by 0.25 kg/head x 200 people = 50kg.
Image above shows the seafood potential of Manila Bay, which is currently being plagued by waste.
If there are tens of thousands of similar events in the country, imagine that we can reduce tens of thousands of kg of plastic by just changing how we eat. We can also set up segregation and connect to recycling so that the remaining plastic generated goes into the circular economy.
So how about your organization - how can it improve recycling and waste reduction?
If your organization is interested in a Level Up Clean Up Program that engages, educates and inspires your team to tackle waste creatively, please reach out to info@madearth.org.
