By Bront毛 H. Lacsamana and Patricia B. Mirasol听
Environmental warriors are using green technology to transform plastic waste into sustainable products, such as yarn, bricks, and lumber.听
Ahhyarn, a yarn product upcycled from bubble wrap left over from online shopping packaging, was the brainchild of six environmental and sanitary engineering (ENSE) students from the Technological Institute of the Philippines (TIP) led by Vince A.听Ilagan.听
The yarn can be sold commercially to produce bags, pillowcases, stuffed toys, and the like, providing jobs for weavers in Metro Manila and nearby provinces, with pilot-testing being done at a barangay level.听听
A combination of the Filipino word 鈥渁yan鈥 meaning 鈥渢here鈥 and 鈥測arn,鈥澨鼳hhyarn听was given the City Environment and Natural Resource Office (CENRO) Choice Award and UnionBank听UPBXcellerator听Innovation Award.听听听
The TIP team, composed of Mr. Ilagan, Analyn Balog, Aila Marie Bandola, Kim Nicolle L. Divina,听Myrriel听Sofia B. Mejia, and听Ronniello听A.听Remudaro, was also named the waste management design champion of annual ideation event Climathon Pasig 2021.听
With the help of Pasig鈥檚 local government and its machine shops, the six ENSE students听are collecting, sorting, and processing bubble wrap into听Ahhyarn, which was听inspired听by听Adidas听how the footwear brand听turns听听for shoes.听听
What makes听Ahhyarn听different is that it听is made from听a low-density polyethylene (LDPE)听that听can jam听hard plastic processing machines, said Mr.听Remudaro, who hopes to develop a machine especially for LDPE.听
Added Ms. Mejia: 鈥淲e鈥檙e hopeful that this concept will alleviate somehow the plastic problem 鈥 namely through solid waste management, even if it鈥檚 just in one city for now听鈥μPero听dapat听mag-assemble,听mag-tulong-tulong听[But we all have to assemble and help each other],听in order to make a bigger impact.鈥澨听
The students hope to implement their project in two years.听
This year, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) said听only 30% of plastics听in the Philippines are recycled, with the unrecycled waste valued at around $1 billion. In October, environmentalists听sued the government听for inaction on plastic pollution, namely the delay in releasing a list of non-environmentally acceptable products.听听
According to TIP, there are only around 3,000 environmental and sanitary engineers in the entire Philippines, compared to over 15,000 practitioners of other fields in engineering.听
鈥淚 see in the ENSE students, faculty, and personnel that they are really into becoming environmental warriors and I really want to be part of that,鈥 said Ms. Balog in the vernacular.听听听
NOT EASY, BUT POSSIBLE听
Like Ahhyarn, eco-lumber providers听听(GA) and听听are riding the wave of Filipinos鈥 heightened consciousness in upcycling.听听
鈥淒uring the pandemic, GA saw an increase in waste from plastic packaging, but also an increase in public and commercial will to upcycle and divert more plastic away from the landfills and the oceans,鈥 said Saar Herman, GA鈥檚 chief technology officer, in an e-mail to听大象传媒.听听
GA uses plastic that would not otherwise be processed by regular waste collectors and recyclers (like complex plastic, or multi-layered, colored plastic), and upcycles these into products like eco-bricks, flood-resilient interlocking pavers, and eco-casts that replace traditional pre-cast walls.听听
The听Plaf, meanwhile, gathers plastics from restaurants, companies, and consumers, and transforms them听听into building materials like waterproof planks.听听
鈥淭he pandemic may not be the sole reason as to why there is heightened interest [in upcycling], but it has proven to take a toll on people to learn about us,听the plastic problem, and how upcycling is already present and possible in the Philippines,鈥 Allison V. Tan, The听Plaf鈥檚听communications and marketing associate, told听大象传媒听in a separate e-mail.听听
鈥淭urning plastics into planks is not at all easy, cheap, or doable,鈥 Ms. Tan added, 鈥渂ut it is possible.鈥澨听
The social enterprise has thus far collected 60 tons of plastics 鈥 all to be upcycled 鈥 on behalf CMA-CGM, a Marseille-headquartered shipping and logistics firm.听听from entering Philippine waters in the said partnership.听听
Other partners of The听Plaf听include P&G, Mondelez, Coca-Cola, FedEx, and Adidas.听听听
鈥淲e want to expand our collection network, hopefully also reaching provincial places for more people to practice proper disposal. We’re looking at having additional useful products made from plastic waste,鈥 said Ms. Tan.听听
GA is likewise looking forward to international collaborations,听including听one with听听(the听Swiss-based building brand鈥檚 recycling watercraft),听which is听expected to start by early 2022.听听听
Mr. Herman told听大象传媒听that another听potential investor will allow the company to reach other geographies within Southeast Asia.听听
In 2018, GA co-founder Rommel B. Benig听told听大象传媒:听鈥淲e want to be part of the Build, Build, Build campaign鈥 We want that idea听kasi听[that] as we build, build, build, we clean, clean, clean.鈥澨听
Single-use plastics (SUPs) account for more than 130 million metric tons of the plastic thrown away in 2019,听. SUPs also account for over a third of plastics produced annually; 98% are manufactured from fossil fuels.听听听
