Gandang Kalikasan turning mango waste to body butter

CEBU, Philippines - Social enterprise company Gandang Kalisan Inc. (GKI) is set to work with Cebu-based non-government organization (NGOs) to maximize the wastage of processed mango for the requirement of its Mango Butter skin moisturizing product.

 GKI president Anna Meloto-Wilk announced that the company is currently in talks with the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) through its partnership program with German development agency-GIZ, the Strategic Corporation-Community Partnership for Local Development Program (SCOPE), and the University of Cebu, for the sourcing of raw material for Mango Butter.

Known as the center for mango production, both raw and processed products, Cebu generates 75 tons of mango skin and seed wastes every month from the manufacturing of dried mango that is supplied both for the domestic and export markets.

According to Meloto, mango is a good source of skin moisturizing ingredient, and demand is increasing all over the world.

Aside from body butter, Meloto said the mango extracts can also be mixed with some of the company’s other skin and hair products such as lotion, moisturizers, and hair conditioner.

“Mango oil is considered as premium oil even more expensive than sunflower oil,” Meloto said in an interview.

She said UC has the technology in producing mango butter from those waste. She hopes that the partnership plan will be formalized soon, so that the company will be able to augment its product lines, as demand for organic-based beauty and body care products is significantly rising in the Philippines.

Already, GKI has existing partnerships with different farming communities accross the Philippines, for the production of sunflower oil and passion fruit in Davao, lemon grass planting in Bulacan, and Negros, among others.

According to Meloto, while there is a huge opportunity for the Philippines to produce organic-based products, GKI is constantly looking for farming communities in order to fulfill its primary thrust in uplifting poverty.

GKI is largely using flowers, plants, vegetables, and fruits richly grown in the Philippines, which have good natural ingredients to nourish, beautify human body. These are the moringa (Malungay), lemongrass (Tanglad), sunflower, citronilla, tomato, aloe vera, virgin coconut oil, honey, guava, carrageenan, gugo bark, cucumber, mango, calamansi, avocado, peppermint, sugarcane, melon, banana, among others.

All HN products are sold through direct-selling concept, although the company has recently announced its entry to the conventional retail channel, via high-end retail shops such as Rustans, Beauty Bar, among others.

For 2012, the company is looking at expanding its product lines further, that will extend to baby and men’s markets, and the huge anti-aging users, Meloto said.

Also, she said the company will also widen its market reach, via expanding the number of dealer-stores, retail partners (for its selected products), including its export to United States, Malaysia, Singapore, and other countries. (FREEMAN)