Environment group putting up P25-M plastic recycling plant

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Alliance for Recycling and Materials Sustainability (PARMS) will build a P25 million recycling facility for sachets as part of a comprehensive approach to address post-consumer waste which puts a strain on the environment, particularly waterways.

The recycling facility will employ clean technology that can process more than 150 metric tons of waste per year, to be converted into products such as pallets, school chairs and other high-value plastic products.

PARMS is a multi-stakeholder partnership supported by the National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC), and a multi-sectoral coalition composed of top corporations in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector.

Members include the Coca-Cola system as represented by Coca-Cola FEMSA Philippines; Liwayway Marketing Corporation; Monde Nissin Corp.; Nestlé Philippines Inc.; Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines, Inc.; Procter & Gamble Philippines; Unilever Philippines; Universal Robina Corporation; major industry groups such as the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Philippine Plastics Industry Association; and environmental NGOs such as the Zero Waste Recycling Movement; and Philippine Business for the Environment.

“PARMS is premised on developing and implementing a holistic and comprehensive program to increase resource recovery and reduce landfill dependence, leading toward zero waste,” said PARMS founder Crispian Lao, commissioner of NSWMC, which oversees the implementation of appropriate solid waste management plans by end-users and local governments.

Apart from the recycling facility, PARMS’ comprehensive approach will include an information, education and communications campaign, and recovery, collection, treatment, and market development for recycled products.

PARMS supports the various sustainability programs of its members ranging from education, collection, to conversion, and supports private-led initiatives reducing environmental impact. Examples are Nestlé’s Laminates to Ecobricks Project and Tibayanihan’s Sachet to School Chair Upcycling Project, P&G’s Waste to Worth Project and, in collaboration with World Vision, its Pag-asa sa Basura, Unilever’s Misis Walastik, and Pepsi-Cola Philippines’ Liter of Light in partnership with My Shelter Foundation.

PARMS is also reviewing the potential of Unilever’s pioneering technology, CreaSolv®, a process for recovering plastic from sachets to create new packaging materials, creating a full circular economy approach.

Bearing in mind economic profitability and environmental benefits, the organization continues to explore other sustainable technologies to address waste. Banking on the expertise of various institutions from long-standing programs and partnerships, PARMS hopes to build more collaborative solutions which can encourage participation from consumers, academe, NGOs, and the government – both at the national and local levels. Mr. Lao said the search for long-term solutions to plastic waste leakage in the environment “is grounded on partnerships and collaboration of individuals, communities, and companies, and the shared belief that what is good for the planet and the people is also good for business.”