The pandemic has turned almost all consumers to online shopping. The ease and convenience of shopping online beats the risk of going out and exposing yourself to others. However, your Shopee and Lazada orders undoubtedly come in plastic parcels, and unfortunately, they don’t just disappear off the face of the earth.
The reality is, they will be thrown away in our landfills and stay for the next couple hundred years. Does that sound heavy? It is.
That’s why we’ve got to do our part and make sure that our plastics take on a new form of use. While it’s not the best solution, it does keep a good amount of waste away from the ocean!
Here are a couple organizations that accept your leftover online parcels.
The Plastic Flamingo
Probably your best bet at recycling anything plastic ever, The Plastic Flamingo happily takes your parcels, Tupperware, yogurt cups, and bottles to recycle them into ecolumbers. These ecolumbers can be used to make shelters, which is game-changing in the typhoon-prone Philippines! Make sure all your plastics are clean and dry, and they’ll be ready for recycling soon after.
The Plastic Solution
Pack your ecobricks nice and tight for The Plastic Solution! While they’re currently suspending operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, you can still fill your ecobricks with non-biodegradable trash like straws, sachets, plastic bags, etc. Hold on to them for now and wait for announcements on their many locations throughout the country.
Green Antz Builders
Another organization dedicated to environmentally-friendly housing solutions, Green Antz Builders accepts clean and dry plastics at their various locations in Makati, Taguig, and Pasig. Their drop-off points are currently closed until further notice, but keep collecting your plastics until the end of MECQ for donation!
Winder Recycling Company
Back in 2001, the Winder Recycling Company began to recycle single-use plastics into useful furniture like school chairs, benches, and tables. The company’s largest drop-off point is located in Davao, but eco-warriors can check for their other locations in Zambales, Nueva Ecija, and Surigao.
BONUS SUGGESTION: Silent Beads
Have a pile of brown paper bags sitting in your cabinet? Silent Beads takes these bags and recycles them into seed paper that you can plant to grow your own goods. You can donate your brown paper bags to their drop-off points in Decathalon, Pasig and Muzon, SJDM. Make sure to also support their seed paper business by buying their recycled calendars, gift tags, and invitations!
One quick note for parcel donations: ensure that when you donate your parcels for recycling, your personal information is removed or cut out. Aside from the fact that they’re not included in the recycling process for plastics, it’s also not safe for your personal info to be out and about.
