Join us in advocating for a circular economy and make PROJECT CIRCULOUR USE happen!

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What problem is this advocacy addressing? 

Do you ever wonder what happens to the plastic cup you used to consume a refreshing drink? How long will it stay in the trash before it is collected and thrown somewhere else? The plastic that you only found useful for a few minutes will last on this earth for hundreds of years, if not decades.

According to the Sustainable Development Summit (2023), approximately 430 million tonnes of plastic are produced each year in which 66.67% are used for a short period of time or are only for one-time use. Out of the 430 million tonnes of plastics, only 9% are recycled, while the rest are either dumped on landfills, incinerated, or mismanaged (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2022).

These plastics include the plastic cups we drink on, the plastic forks we use, the plastic bags that carry our purchased goods, and even the wrappers that you rip off for every snack that you eat. Whether you are aware or not, YOU are a contributor to the growing plastic waste collected each year. And until we find a proper solution, the numbers will only continue to increase to no repair.

However, what if that proper solution that we are looking for is already there? Just not properly practiced not only by big organizations but also by regular citizens like you? We were only taught about the 3Rs in elementary school. But what exactly does it promote? It is what we call a circular economy. 

 

A Circular Economy? What’s that?

Right now, in the modern day generation, our current economic system can be considered as a “linear economy” where products made from raw materials will turn directly into a waste. Based on the circularity gap report 2023, only 7.2 percent of the used materials turn into products and cycle back into our economies after use. This can be a big factor that can contribute to the worsening of our environment resulting in climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss and many more. A “circular economy”, on the other hand, aims to minimize waste and promote a sustainable use of natural resources, through smarter product design, longer use, recycling and more, as well as regenerate nature. This can be the answer to the crisis our environment is facing right now. Instead of just taking, making, and disposing, it will center around and even go beyond the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle).

 

What is this advocacy all about?

After being inspired by “Eco-Ikot” centers, we hope that centers similar to this will be built in local schools here in Parañaque City, starting from our alma mater, Parañaque Science High School. With the help of the centers or systems, we hope to promote: 

• Cleanliness
• Environmental Sustainability 
• Restorative or regenerative Activities
• Make recycling, repurposing, redesigning, reusing, etc. more fun and engaging for everyone
• Give citizens a sense of rewarding after every act of participation through the incentives that they will receive
• Expand the implementation of these centers from schools to a wider scope such as Barangays, especially here in Parañaque City

 

What would this advocacy do?

This advocacy aims to incorporate the system of CORA’s Eco-Ikot center to our school, Parañaque Science High School. The Eco-Ikot center operates by exchanging recyclables for points which the individual can save up and use to redeem incentives. This ensures the proper management of plastic waste and other recyclables as it motivates and encourages the community to make the practice of management of recyclables a part of their daily life. 

Waste segregation has long been practiced by ParSci, students separate plastic bottles, and papers to colored papers and white papers. However, to further promote and practice sustainability, instead of storing our segregated waste in the MRF while waiting for the Recycle center to pick it up, we will upcycle the collected waste into objects and materials that will be of use to our surroundings. The wastes that are collected can be made into something that can satisfy and be beneficial to the people within this community, local animals, plants, and even our eye for beauty. 

 

Why should you support this advocacy?

As our world can hardly breathe anymore due to the ever-persisting effects of climate change, we need to make sure that we will put our best foot forward in helping our environment, and a circular economy is the road to ultimate sustainability. This is the main reason as to why YOU need to support this advocacy. We should be proud eco-warriors for the environment because this is a place we’ll be leaving to the next generations. 

Going beyond the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) and applying the other Rs included in a circular economy in our daily lives will make more of an impact than you think.

Through this, we let our micro-efforts turn into macro-effects!