In pursuit of a stronger circular economy, a packaging solutions company teams up with social enterprises to repurpose used cartons and plastic waste.
Tetra Pak has tapped Junk Not to produce durable materials from used beverage cartons, which is part of the former’s initiative to work with social enterprises, waste collection partners, and recyclers started in 2020.
Junk Not’s first collection from the partnership, “Araling Mesa at Upuan”, features a table and chair set made with reclaimed wood pallets, five kilos of used beverage cartons, and half a kilo of plastic waste. The set is available at Junk Not’s concept store at P20,000.
“I am inspired to incorporate used beverage carton boards in my design. Instead of incinerating our waste or it ending up in the ocean or in a landfill, with this upcycling solution, we can keep waste at home in a functional way,” shared Junk Not founder Willie Garcia.
According to Garcia, the pieces are reflective of the growing interior design trend to use recycled materials in furniture production. She is looking forward to creating more pieces from used beverage cartons.
Meanwhile, Rural Industrial Corporation based in Bulacan recycles used beverage cartons to create PolyAl Pro boards that can be used to construct wall partitions in homes and offices, cabinets, ceilings, counters for food stalls, signages, artwork, and even heavy-duty truck beds. The PolyAl Pro boards are versatile, durable, and smooth-faced, composed of 70 percent polyethylene, 25 percent aluminum foil, and 5 percent mixed plastic waste.
Tetra Pak has also rolled out initiatives to engage consumers directly. Project ReBins, which encourages consumers to drop off their used beverage cartons (UBCs), has drop-off booths in key retail areas in Metro Manila.
Last year, Tetra Pak partnered with Nestlé Philippines and DMCI Homes to bring Project ReBins to the doorstep of its customers.
The effort helped repurpose a total of 100,000 packs (1 ton) of UBCs collected from 20 DMCI condominium properties or over 13,500 households across Metro Manila. Through the efforts of the residents and the support of Nestle Philippines, Tetra Pak was able to provide beneficiaries of CRIBS Foundation with a noche buena dinner. CRIBS is a non-profit organization that provides a loving and safe environment for abandoned, neglected, and surrendered babies as well as female minor survivors of sexual abuse.
The packaging company bared its plans to create sustainable packaging made solely from plant-based materials that are fully renewable, fully recyclable, and carbon-neutral.
