MALABON, Philippines – To further inspire communities and help prevent plastic waste from ending in landfills and the oceans through recycling and upcycling, leading consumer goods company Procter & Gamble (P&G) Philippines and World Vision Development Foundation Inc. recently held a Christmas lantern making contest for Malabon and Quezon City public schools under the Pag-asa sa Basura program.
Held at the Panghulo Elementary School in Malabon, the exhibit highlighted the schools’ strengthened appreciation for plastic recycling and their commitment to practicing proper solid waste management daily. Participating schools were tasked to create a parol using plastic sachets and bottles collected by the Pag-asa sa Basura program, with each entry assessed for its creativity and originality, workmanship, sustainability, and symbolism.
The exhibit also celebrated the early success of the program as it collected over 2.3 million used plastic sachets and 700,000 bottles from the two cities in just three months.
Pag-asa Sa Basura is P&G’s school-based plastic recovery program aimed at educating students and families, incentivizing their efforts and executing proper plastic waste collection. The collected plastic wastes will be upcycled into school chairs, trash cans and the like for the 26 partner schools.
As part of the Pag-asa sa Basura initiative, the Christmas lantern making and exhibit aims to instill the importance of recycling and upcycling as a way to address the challenges of plastic waste and drive meaningful change in the community and the environment.
