Student entrepreneurs earn cash from polypropylene

CEBU, Philippines - Driven by the desire to help the environment and the community, business administration students turned start-up entrepreneurs considered the enterprise of selling 100-percent recycled, woven polypropylene strap products as a sunshine industry.

With an initial capital of P90,000, PolyCrafts Gifts and Giveaways was established by six students taking up Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Double Major in Marketing Management and Entrepreneurship at the University of San Carlos.

The product line includes weaved bags, box organizers, pencil holders and puso key chains inspired by Cebu’s hanging rice, which are made of polypropylene strap, commonly used to fasten bulky packages and eventually discarded by factories and companies.

PolyCrafts Human Resource Manager Jomes Kemuel Ibañez revealed that the group had initially doubted the market of weaved bags.

He even cited that they had targeted zero percentage of sales for the first three months of production and planned to focus first on image-building to penetrate the market.

He added that the group projected only 75 bags and 75 weaved boxes to be sold out for this month.

However, they were surprised that the enterprise was able to sell a total of 836 units from May to August of which 310 products were sold out during the Ayala Entrepreneurs Fair last August 25 to 27.

“It seemed that it proved to be a sunshine industry especially when we launched the puso key chains. We wanted zero-waste and sustainable products. It looks brand new but actually, they are already discarded and considered as waste scraps,” he continued.

Dominique Suzanne Caliente, marketing and sales manager, said that the puso key chains accounted 50% of the total sales of the company, thus considering it as the fast-moving items of the business followed by the pencil cases and large-sized bags as the group’s second bestselling products.

She added that their products have also been delivered to places outside Cebu and even to other countries such as Las Vegas and Netherlands.

She cited that the group had seen its recycling potential thus venturing into the business of turning the waste scraps into crafts.

At present, she said that there are three companies donating their used straps to PolyCrafts and further encouraged other businesses to partner with them on recycling their polypropylene wastes.

She noted that their target market varies from business-to-business clients, institutions and walk-in buyers who can use their products as gifts and giveaways since the group is also open for customization.

Prices range from P15 – P20 for puso key chains, P150 – P250 for weaved bags, P50 – P150 for pencil cases, and P75 - P120 for box organizers.

Caliente said that the finished products are woven by the empowered women of the Gawad Kalinga community, thus providing additional livelihood particularly for housewives.

Presently, the group has three weavers for their manpower and is currently conducting trainings for more laborers to tap.

With their production area located in the South, she said that they plan to put up a shop and continue the business after graduation.

PolyCrafts has Kevin Wynn Cua as their general manager, Ma. Zaira Eguia as operations manager, Virgilona Lurot as quality control manager and Josephine Lim as finance manager.