Empowering Women Thru Plastics Recycling: A Livelihood Project for Women in Marginalized Communities

According to the Philippines' Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Metro Manila produces about 25% of the country's solid waste, 16% of which are plastics. Unfortunately, recycling is limited to only similar to 20% of these plastic wastes; the rest goes to landfills. To address this problem, the Humanitarian Engineering, Entrepreneurship, and Design (HEED) group of the University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD) started Project Plastikan - a plastics recycling project that aims to provide income opportunities for women in marginalized communities by building a plastics recycling facility based on the design of David Hakkens, founder of Precious Plastics. The facility will house various recycling machines with open-source designs to be built by UP students in partnership with the UP FABLAB. The pilot community is in Malabon, Metro Manila - one of the field sites of the UP College of Social Work and Community Development (CSWCD). The project involves three phases: (1) needs assessment and market research, (2) fabrication of appropriate machines, and (3) technology transfer and training. Through this project, the women in the community will be manufacturing upcycled products themselves. Aside from finished goods, useful raw materials may also be made and supplied to local manufacturers to turn into high-value products. Furthermore, the project will inculcate gender equality and empowerment among its beneficiaries, while providing a more holistic educational experience to the students and faculty members involved in the project.