In this time of price hikes, I would do anything for free stuff. We all know getting free stuff is pretty impossible now unless we win in a contest or some supernatural force leaves some goodies at our door, Valenzuela City is changing the game.
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The local government of Valenzuela City partners with Nestle recently launch waste management program “May Balik sa Plastic.” According to Inquirer, 400 street sweepers of Valenzuela City can now swap collected plastic waste for free groceries. The sweepers can get items like coffee, milk, and more depending on the weight of waste they picked up.
Meanwhile, public school students can swap plastic sachets or beverage cartons for gift certificates. These actions support the goal of “May Balik sa Plastic,” which is to cut down the quantity of trash that ends up in landfills and other bodies of water. Talk about a win-win situation!
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The same Inquirer report reveals that because of our plastic-heavy way of life, we’ll be needing 200 more landfills by 2020. Oh, isn’t it 2020 in sixth months? This only proves that our environmental problem is also a class problem, as the sachet culture is mostly predominant in families in the poverty line, because they struggle in balancing their budget. Sachet-based products often serve as the cheapest choice.
Initiatives like “May Balik sa Plastic,” should be pursued and supported. Especially now that it has been confirmed that our plastic waste has already reached the deepest part of the sea. We wouldn’t want to feel what’s worse than that.
Art by Renz Mart Reyes