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Amid widespread plastic pollution, environmental group Greenpeace pushes for a reuse and refill system to reduce the reliance on sachets. Jekki Pascual, ABS-CBN News

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Environmental group pushes for ‘reuse & refill’ amid plastic pollution

Jekki Pascual

ABS-CBN News

<div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1711105590590plastic free.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Amid widespread plastic pollution, environmental group Greenpeace pushes for a reuse and refill system to reduce the reliance on sachets. Jekki Pascual, ABS-CBN News"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left"><span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Amid widespread plastic pollution, environmental group Greenpeace pushes for a reuse and refill system to reduce the reliance on sachets. <em>Jekki Pascual, ABS-CBN News</em></span><em> </em></span></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:left"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">MANILA - Environmental group Greenpeace Philippines urges the local and national governments to adopt reuse and refill systems, citing the success of the ‘Kuha sa Tingi’ project.</span></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The project, which started in 2022, seeks to replace single-use plastics with refill systems in small neighborhood shops known as sari-sari stores. It currently is set up in over a thousand stores in San Juan and Quezon City.</span></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Customers can purchase small portions of fabric conditioner, liquid detergent, dishwashing liquid, and multipurpose cleaner. All they have to do is bring their own container. This eliminates the need to buy the said products in a sachet or plastic. The group said this reduces the cost to consumers and demand for sachets also drops.</span></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“By providing affordable products, and accessibility rin siya dahil it’s closer to their households. We intended to make it cheaper so that the shift won’t be hard for the customers,” said Marian Ledesma, Zero Waste Campaigner of Greenpeace Philippines.</span></div><div><br/></div><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/08/02/23/refilling-stations-seen-to-reduce-use-of-plastic-sachets" id="isPasted" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Refilling stations seen to reduce use of plastic sachets</a></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/03/10/23/rise-in-ocean-plastic-pollution-unprecedented-since-2005" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="color:#1155cc;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:underline;-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"></span></a><span style="color:#1155cc;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:underline;-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"></span><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/03/10/23/rise-in-ocean-plastic-pollution-unprecedented-since-2005" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Rise in ocean plastic pollution &#x27;unprecedented&#x27; since 2005</a></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Based on the study of Greenpeace, after 18 months the program has cut down the purchase of sachets in areas where there is a refilling station. And sellers themselves earned more.</span></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“There was a 15 percent increase in profit when they shifted to refilling compared to when they were selling the sachet counterparts of these products. Maganda rin ang received na benefits when they’ve seen that this kind of model works for them as a business,” Ledesma said.</span></div><div><br/></div><div><ivs-player data-ivs-key="e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603" data-ivs-spid="3001339" data-ivs-vid="2805325"></ivs-player></div><script src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/js/loader.js"></script><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte now wants to expand the project to more areas in Quezon City and possibly add other products to the program.</span></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Eliminate all single-use low-grade plastic na nag-cause ng plastic pollution. And sachets are one of them. Even manufacturers should also think about their role and responsibility to take care of the environment,” said Belmonte.</span></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“It’s still cheaper than the sachet price and she’ll earn more, the consumer pays less, and the environment wins,” Belmonte added.</span></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Brian Geli, Public Information head of San Juan City also says this project is also changing the mindset of many Filipinos. He urged the public to look back to a few decades ago when sachets were not used and people brought their own containers to the market.</span></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Ang layunin ay baguhin ang ugali ng mga tao sa pagbili ng mga plastic at palitan ito ng nakaugalian na nung dati pa,” Geli said.</span></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Greenpeace is now in talks with other local government units to expand the ‘Kuha sa Tingi’ project. It is also pushing for a law to institutionalize the reuse and refill systems to push large companies to also adopt sustainable practices.</span></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/01/25/24/study-millions-of-plastic-trash-found-in-portions-of-manila-bay" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration:none" target="_blank"><span style="color:#1155cc;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:underline;-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Study: Millions of plastic trash found in portions of Manila Bay</span></a></div><div><br/></div>

<p>Environmental group Greenpeace Philippines urges the local and national governments to adopt reuse and refill systems, citing the success of the ‘Kuha sa Tingi’ project.</p>

Environmental group Greenpeace Philippines urges the local and national governments to adopt reuse and refill systems, citing the success of the ‘Kuha sa Tingi’ project.

Environmental group pushes for ‘reuse & refill’ system amid plastic pollution

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Environmental group pushes for ‘reuse & refill’ system amid plastic pollution

Jekki Pascual,

ABS-CBN News

Published Mar 22, 2024 07:17 PM PHT

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Updated Oct 23, 2024 10:43 AM PHT

Read More:

kuha sa tingi

Greenpeace

sachet

Philippines

environment

plastic pollution

single use plastic

Joy Belmonte

Quezon City

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