NegOcc farming community beats plastic pollution

BACOLOD City – A small farming community in Binalbagan, Negros Occidental has begun a plastic bottle collection and recycling initiative aimed at reducing plastic waste.

PeacePond, a farmers’ association headed by couple Jesus Antonio Orbida and Checcs Osmeña-Orbida, calls it “Blastik” or the Balik Plastic Bottle Project.

The “full-circle” bottle collection and recycling initiative thrives inside a less than five-hectare farm and fish production area at Barangay Enclaro in Binalbagan.

Osmeña-Orbida, who sits as the project head, said they are collaborating with the Coca-Cola Foundation and AID Foundation, Inc. (AIDFI) in implementing the “Blastik Project.”

“The Blastik Project will serve as information, education and communication center for the reduction of our plastic footprint. This way, we can ultimately prevent too much plastic waste from polluting our oceans or defiling our farmlands,” she added.

Through the project, they also hope to teach communities of the economic viability of plastic bottle recycling.

“Blastik” was launched on July 18.  It allows farmer-members serving as “eco-rangers” to collect plastic PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles onboard the low carbon e-bike. Residents may opt to sell their bottles for cash or trade them for eco-bags.

The bottles are weighed, washed and dried. It is then segregated from the caps and labels and temporarily stored in a materials recovery facility in the PeacePond’s farm and fish production area

Low-cost AIDFI machines turn the bottles into amazing products as these are shredded into flakes used as pavers for footwalk and aggregates in floors while labels are handcrafted.

“If we Filipinos do not change our ways, statistics will continue to rise and in just a few years, we may find our waste problem unmanageable,” Osmeña-Orbida said.

She noted that the project is designed for easy replication in barangays, local government units (LGUs), organizations, and small companies.

Osmeña-Orbida acknowledged that the biggest challenge of the “Blastik Project” is teaching small communities, such as barangays, to efficiently manage their plastic waste, and is convincing LGUs to implement the project, knowing that garbage truck hauling may be an easier short-term solution, but sanitary landfill costs will be a long-term problem.

Still, PeacePond continues to provide opportunities for groups to learn how the project works by conducting workshops.

Osmeña-Orbida said they need the support of the barangays and LGUs interested in reducing plastic waste.

“Through this project, we are looking forward to a cleaner and healthier Philippines, a drastic reduction of our plastic footprint, and a more environmentally-conscious culture for Filipinos,” she added. (With a report from PNA/PN)

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here