Manila, October 25 (Reuters)-A group of recyclers in the Philippines are trying to alleviate the country’s deteriorating situation by turning bottles, disposable pouches and snack wrappers that clog rivers and destroy beaches into construction materials. Plastic waste crisis.

The plastic flamingo, or "The Plaf" as we know it, collects waste, shreds it, and then shapes it into pillars and boards called "ecological wood", which can be used for fences, decorations and even disasters-relief shelters .

Erica Reyes, Chief Operating Officer of The Plaf, said: "(It) is 100% upgraded and reused material, 100% made of plastic waste, we also added some additives and colorants, and it is not rot, maintenance-free and non-corrosive. Fragmented." Officer.

So far, this social enterprise has collected more than 100 tons of plastic waste and is doing its best to solve a local problem with global impact.

According to a 2021 report from the University of Oxford Our Data World, approximately 80% of the world’s ocean plastic comes from Asian rivers, and the Philippines alone accounts for one-third of it.

On October 18, 2021, plastic flamingo or The Plaf social enterprise factory in Muntinlupa, Philippines, piled up waterproof boards made of plastic. Plaf collects plastic from restaurants, companies and consumers and converts it into wood panels that can be used as raw materials such as waterproofing. The picture was taken on October 18, 2021. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez

The Philippines does not have a clear strategy to solve the plastic problem, and its environmental department said it has contacted manufacturers to determine ways to manage waste.

However, COVID-19 has made the fight against plastic waste more difficult to win.

According to data from the United Nations Environment Programme, about 300 million tons of plastic waste are generated every year. With the surge in online shopping, the pandemic has triggered an upsurge of plastic masks, gloves, take-out food containers and foam packaging, making this problem even more serious.

"People don't know what to do with these plastics," said Allison Tan, The Plaf's marketing assistant.

"We provide this approach instead of putting it in a landfill or ocean... You give it to a recycling center like ours, and we will upgrade them to better products."

In addition to solving the waste problem, the organization also said it is negotiating with other non-governmental organizations to use sustainable building materials to help rebuild houses destroyed by the typhoon.

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