Plastic bottle recycling initiative launched in Albay

Manila, Philippines -  Globe Telecom has launched a plastic bottle recycling project for colleges and universities in Albay to minimize waste materials which cause flooding as well as to raise funds for charitable undertakings.

“Since the Bicol region is frequented by disasters especially typhoons, recycling PET bottles could help declog drainages and prevent flooding. Increased usage of plastic bottles for soft drinks, juices, and water is becoming a major headache for governments worldwide as they add to mountains of trash which destroy the environment. This is why Globe came up with a collection drive as our way of aiding in the recycling process,” said Rob Nazal, head of Globe Corporate Social Responsibility.

The initiative was launched during the Albay Youth Summit, a joint project of the provincial government and Globe Prepaid, designed to prepare the next generation of leaders by providing the youth with knowledge, resources, and encouragement to create positive change in their communities.

The collection drive will run until Aug. 3 to give schools enough time to collect PET bottles. The school with the biggest collection will receive a P15,000 grant from Globe Bridging Communities, with second and third placers getting P10,000 and P5,000, respectively.

The grant shall be used for CSR and community development projects related to education, environment, good governance, volunteerism, or disaster preparedness. The project proposals will be screened by both Globe BridgeCom and Children International-Philippines, which supports children and their families living in poverty.

All collected bottles will be turned over to a recycling center, the proceeds problems to answering quizzes will go to the Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation, an NGO dedicated to assisting children who had to swim or wade through water just to get to school. So far, the foundation has built 150 yellow boats in three communities, a school in Masbate, and a day-care center in Zamboanga.