Research proposal “Reduce Plastic Waste San Jose de Buenavista Antique”
Background: The Let Us Care Foundation inc. is active in San Jose de Buenavista and Antique province with her social projects. Among these a long term temporary shelter for abused girls, a streetboys project, 150 scholars, feeding program and different livelihood projects. Besides this Let Us Care Foundation also has in its objectives to care and implement environmental projects.
One of the problems here in the Philippines is the amount of plastic waste in the ocean on the street and environment that pollutes our nature and living environment with all its hazards for nature and mankind. We want to extend our help to reduce the amount of plastic that ends up in nature and ocean so that we minimize these environmental impacts.
With this research study on plastic waste we want to inventory the possibilities to collect and sell this plastic as raw material. So that when waste becomes money a system of collecting and recycling will be effectuated. In San Jose there is at the moment a current plastic melter. However this functions not yet well. Also there are possibilities to sell plastic in bulk to Manilla for reuse. This has to be researched.
Together with the municipality of San Jose Let’s Care wants to address this problem and want to know the following in order to find and implement the best solutions to collect and segregate this plastic waste.
Which ways of segregation plastic waste are possible; in what different fractions all plastic has to be segregated; what are the revenues of this re-using / recycling / collecting; who are buyers of this raw material / re-cycled material; what are the environmental impacts on those different ways of recycling / re-using and what are the investment costs for these solutions.
We have identified as of now 3 ways of possible collection/recycling. To melt and reuse the blocks, to granulate and last to collect the raw material and ship it to be re-used.
Probably there are more solutions.
With the answers to these questions we want a recommendation of the best solution. Best is: the re-use of the most plastic, which has least environmental impact, which has the greatest revenues and which has the least invenstment costs.
After these answers and conclusion are made available in this research the next step of the research is to advice on a way of how to collect, how to handle, how to ship and how to sell this waste.
So this second step is then to make a design plan for the recycling street, its procedures, manpower etc. and the administrative advices (paperwork etc.). The implementation plan.
The 3rd step is then the actual implementation of the recycling street and supply of plastic
Target: To implement the best practices of plastic collection and selling, so that the plastic will become valuable and as such collected and not anymore dumped as waste. This has 2 positive effects, one on environmental point of view and the other out of livelihood point of view.
There might also be a need for communication with the inhabitants of San Jose to make them aware of this project and the need for this. So that cooperation and success of the project will be guaranteed. This need for a communication plan should be investigated in the first stage of the project.
When this project is succefull we can implement / advocate it in different municipalities/cities.
The research questions are already formulated and you get all the assistance you need.
Furthermore we will cater for your accomodation. We can discuss further possibilities and costs. We dont have much money to spent ourselves on this project, but we and you can maybe raise funds for this, so it will be not too costly on your side.
If you are interested please leave your resume and motivation letter to Erna Vinkers, stichtingletscare@gmail.com
Thank you for taking part!