Need a little help with managing your recoverable and recyclable waste? Trash Panda‘s got you covered!
Trash Panda, an app built by the young start-up company Circula Recoon, provides “on-demand recoverable waste collection and coaching.” This means that aside from collecting recoverable waste and making sure they end up going to the right places, they’re also helping Filipinos build the habit of properly managing waste on their own.
The amazing people behind this team are co-founders Marie Sapuay and Francis Dimalanta. Marie, the company’s CEO, currently works as a consultant for solid waste management, while Francis, the COO, actively involves himself as a consultant for sustainable urban development.
Photos: Facebook/TrashPandaByCirculaRecoon
Building eco-friendly habits
Circula Recoon aims to “make landfills obsolete” through apps that will keep trash away from landfills, dumpsites, and bodies of water. They also aim to help people learn proper waste management and track their progress through time. This way, people will not just rely on their app to always collect their trash, but will also develop eco-friendly habits that will lead to a “zero-landfill future.”
You’d be able to see the total weight of the waste you’ve turned over under the “My Impact” section and your chosen collection schedule under the “My Upcoming Collection Schedules” area. The app’s “Coaching Corner” is not yet live but will soon include content like tutorials to guide you in making better decisions when it comes to waste management.
Photo: Unsplash/alschim
Trash collection
Trash Panda currently collects the following types of waste: plastics, paper, cardboard, metals, and used beverage cartons. They’ll be adding more to this list soon, so stay tuned!
To get started, you first have to prepare your recyclable items: make sure they are properly sorted, drained of their content (for cartons and plastic containers), and all clean, dry, and oil-free. Next, download Trash Panda on Google Play, open the app, and click the “Book Now” button. You will then be asked to pick your preferred date of collection and fill out the booking form.
Note that the app is only available on Google Play for now and their services are only available for those who reside in Makati, Mandaluyong, Manila, Marikina, Parañaque, Pasay, Pasig, San Juan, Taguig, and Cainta. But don’t worry because the Trash Panda team is working on updates to make their app and services accessible to more people. Follow them on Facebook for updates.
When the scheduled date of collection arrives, the collector will go to your location to weigh, record, and collect your clean and segregated waste. Like delivery and ride-hailing apps, you’d be able to see the status and location of your collector while you wait.
Finally, you can track where your collected waste will go. You’d see status updates on the app and even get collection details sent to your email. Yay for transparency!
Photo: Unsplash/splashabout
For more detailed instructions on how to prepare your items for collection, check out this post from Trash Panda:
Keep your recyclable and recoverable waste from going into landfills, learn more about waste management, and build more eco-friendly habits with the help of Trash Panda. Download the app today on Google Play!
