Talking dirty: From trash to cash

We got a mountain of feedback on last week’s Consumerline re plastic garbage. Our inbox overflowed with e-mails from concerned readers. One of them comes from Leonardo Rodriguez, marketing manager of Philkor Plastic Corporation, who writes: “I am glad people now are becoming aware of the hazards of irresponsible disposal of plastic waste. If only responsible citizens could be educated to segregate wastes like plastic, they would not only be helping reduce solid waste or flooding, they would also help protect our water resources.”

Awarded an AITECH accreditation by the HUDCC board, Philkor Plastic Corporation (formerly Kotec Plastic) manufactures plastic purifying septic tanks made from recycled PE plastic. The plant can consume 20 tons of recycled PE plastic (sando bags, ice bags, trash bags, etc.) a day. Since 1997, it has been in the forefront of educating the housing industry to avoid the use of concrete septic tanks, which are a great source of pollution as they are prone to seepages — the concrete gets cracked because of the movement of the earth’s crust. These seepages contain deadly coli-form bacteria that can contaminate our water table and lead to cholera, typhoid, and water-borne epidemics. Even without the seepage, these septic tanks can only reduce the BOD and COD (biological and chemical pollutants) by 30 to 40 percent, thus still posing a threat to our water resources. 

With this behemoth problem hanging over our heads, our leaders should ensure the protection of our environment so that the next generations would have clean and safe drinking water.

Rodriguez makes this passionate pitch: “By regulating the use of the two-chamber septic tanks and replacing them with better and modern technology, we may still be able to protect our water supplies. In view of these, I would like to introduce to everyone a technology being used in South Korea, the United States, and many industrialized countries: the plastic purifying septic tank. This apparatus is made from recycled scrap polyethylene plastic, a big source of solid waste pollution, mixed with lahar to come up with a bioreactor type apparatus that has a BOD/COD reduction rate of 60-78 percent.  This product is not only durable but also very affordable.”

Another plastic man, Winchester Lemen, president of Redwood Logistics Corporation, says that his plastic waste collection goes back to the days when he started recovering plastics from the landfill in San Jose, Rizal. The plastics made an eyesore and he felt sorry for the plastic bags that were not being recovered. Thus, he started his fever-pitch campaign to collect plastic and turn it into something fantastic. And now, Redwood Logistics Corporation can count on its collection in Isulan, some parts of Davao City and Del Norte. Soon, they will be invading the posh, manicured subdivisions of Makati like Barangay San Lorenzo.

Lemen explains, “What we do is let the barangay officials do the sorting and segregation. After the segregation, we bale it and store the baled materials. Baled materials will then be transported for recycling into other plastic products. The process is repeated. The non-biodegradable materials we collect include the soft plastics that accumulate and clog the drainage system of every town, resulting in flooding in the area. With these efforts, we hope to eliminate or help minimize the problem of flooding. We’re already doing this in nearby cities and municipalities, namely Tagum, Sto. Tomas, Isulan, to name a few. We hope we could duplicate this in Davao City so we could reduce the flooding in the area.”

Recycled beauties: The Invisible Sisters helps urban housewives earn a living by transforming piles of colored wires from computers, used dry cleaner bags, and assorted old plastic bags into beautiful handicrafts.

 Check out Winchester Lemen’s website at www.brgypinoy.com.

Keep talking garbage now. Did you know that there’s cash (a lot of it) in trash? Ever heard of or seen the Invisible Sisters? It was Joanne Zapanta Andrada, writer/artist/environmentalist, who introduced me to the Invisible Sisters, a visibly hardworking group.

    For a little history: It all began in the house of designer Ann Wizer in late August of 2008. Ann wanted to put up a second livelihood project that would reuse waste and create a useful source of income. With lessons learned from her Jakarta XSProject, she wanted to reach out to those (most of them probably mothers) who couldn’t leave home to work and give them work without leaving home. Inspired by eco-warrior Ibu Bang Bang of Jakarta, who taught her how to crochet plastic bags, she went around and asked some Filipinos if they knew how to crochet. Nobody knew. Undaunted, she converted her garage into a workshop, filling it up with piles of colored wires from computers, used dry cleaner bags, and assorted old plastic bags.

Today, the Invisible Sisters is no longer invisible but a growing guild of empowered urban mothers and grandmothers who have no time to waste as they create beautiful works from discarded wastes.

    Ann relates, “Each week, they trickle in, bringing their children and grandchildren along. As they settle down, we chat, joke around, share snacks, and then get to work. Stitch after stitch, they share ideas, encourage one another, and learn. Before the Internet and chat rooms, women would gather to work at handicrafts, including quilting, knitting, tatting, and lace-making. All of these arts are being lost.”

Water, safe water!: This three-chamber plastic purifying septic tank from Philkor Plastic Corporation is easy to install, time- and labor-saving, durable and affordable, and environment-friendly.

She happily adds, “As a designer and mentor, I work with them one-on-one in helping them develop their designs, do quality control, and suggest improvements (strengthening handles of bags, proper selection of colors and materials, etc.). We take in new products and finally pay those whose bags have been sold. They are all learning and earning, discovering their talents and developing their own sense of design and color. Having little education, few opportunities, and so many children, for many, this is their first experience in benefiting from their own talents and efforts.”

Ann calls it simple problem solving. By simply connecting the dots, using tons of skill and imagination, and whatever resources we have, we can create something from nothing.

Yes, with a dash of imagination, we can convert trash to cash!

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We’d love to hear from you. E-mail us at ching_alano@yahoo.com.