ReForm Plastic uses tech to upcycle single-use plastics

By Edg Adrian A. Eva

REFORM PLASTIC, a social enterprise under EverGreen Labs, is equipping local sectors with technology to upcycle single-use plastic into plastic boards for various industries.

“It is a collaborative effort to reduce the number of low-value plastics (single-use plastics) in places that we don’t want them to be,” Isidro Luis “Chino” Borromeo, operations coordinator at ReForm Plastic said in an interview.

This is while giving people economic opportunity by make something out of plastics, he added.

Under their franchising model, ReForm Plastic offers franchises tailor-fitted machinery, technologies, and programs catered to the type and volume of waste collected in their areas.

“We try to make sense of the community situation… so that’s the value of having our franchise model here, instead of just being a machine distributor,” Mr. Borromeo said.

Items produced by the franchises include plastic boards that are water- and termite- resistant, self-extinguishing and resilient material made from 100% post-consumer waste, Mr. Borromeo said.

It can replace traditional construction materials like plywood, cement, and high-density polyethylene. It can be cut, screwed, and modified for a wide range of applications, such as furniture, hardware, construction, and more.

“Some franchises are creating chairs for schools, trash bins and flooring,” Mr. Borromeo said, adding that the possibilities are endless.

The company started its operations in Vietnam and identified an opportunity to expand into the Philippines, where single-used plastics are also a big problem.

“No one seems to be tackling low-value plastic, such as flexible plastic, plastic bags, sachets, and multilayered packaging,” he said. “These plastics are often going straight to landfills or even worse, straight to our bodies of water.”

The Philippines’ “sachet economy” has led to alarming levels of plastics being dumped in bodies of water, according to the World Bank.

It is estimated that the Philippines generates 2.7 million tons of plastic waste yearly, with 20% ending up in the ocean.

ReForm Plastic aims to address the problem of single-use plastics by turning them into a profitable venture for communities, governments, organizations, and businesses.

“Through our different projects, we try to bring value all across the waste value chain,” Mr. Borromeo said. “We’re talking about how these recycling centers can bring value all the way to collectors.

The company has 14 franchises across Africa and Asia. In the Philippines, they are targeting at least three operational franchises by yearend.