#SachetAway: On ‘World Refill Day,’ public urged to make refilling the new normal

June 16, 2021 - 5:34 PM
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Plastic waste: Philippines is slave to sachets
A variety of plastic pouches containing personal care and food products are seen on display at a "sari-sari" or "sundries" store in Quezon City, Philippines, Aug. 24, 2020. (Reuters/Neil Jerome Morales)

Social media users on Wednesday encouraged others to support an enterprise that recycles plastic packaging in parcels in light of “World Refill Day.”

“World Refill Day” is a global awareness campaign marked every June 16 to encourage the public to reduce plastic waste.

Earlier this week, a Facebook post of the enterprise or initiative called The Plastic Flamingo last April resurfaced. Some social users cited its initiative as they encourage others not to throw away their plastic leftovers.

The Plastic Flamingo or The Plaf shared this post last April 29. It also provided a list of drop-off points across Metro Manila where Filipino consumers can donate.

“The Plastic Flamingo, also known as The Plaf, is a social enterprise that collects and transforms plastics into better products! (flamingo emoji) We accept all types of plastics – cleaned and dried,” read the post.

 

Attached was a series of infographics about the types of plastic materials the Plaf accepts and how the recycling process or “The Plaf Loop” works.

Juven Fajardo, one of the Facebook users who re-shared the link to this post, suggested to collate the parcel pouches and then donate them to the Plaf instead of throwing them away.

“Greetings! We are strongly encouraging you all to not throw parcel pouches away immediately! Ipunin niyo and donate niyo sa ‘The Plaf’! Let’s help in reducing marine pollution,” Fajardo wrote.

He also advised removing any personal information attached to the materials before donating them.

“They’re also accepting bubble wraps! Yung mga bubble wrap na hindi na magagamit pwede rin donate. Remove any personal information,” Fajardo said.

As of writing, this initiative still continues to accept plastic waste, particularly plastic packaging materials.

Environmental organization EcoWaste Coalition likewise urged the public and private businesses to do their part to make refills the new normal.

“Individuals, corporations, and governments must choose to reuse and make refilling the new normal, in order to create a more connected, circular economy where products last and refills are widely available!” read the post.

In a separate post, it also re-shared its previous infographics about the severity of plastic pollution in the country.

 

The global event, “World Refill Day,” was launched by a United Kingdom-based organization called City to Sea.

In the description on its website, the organization aims to help people across the world about the benefits of reusing plastic materials, thus reducing plastic pollution.

“Together with our planet-protecting partners, and thousands of everyday activists around the world, we’re calling on businesses, brands and governments to choose to reuse and help make single-use plastic a thing of the past,” the website read.

“As a global movement, we have the power to create a wave of change. By choosing to reuse, we’re saving millions of pieces of plastic and sending a message to the rest of the world that the solutions to plastic pollution and the climate crisis are there – and together we can keep our environment, oceans, cities and communities plastic-free for the future,” it added.