Villar distribute 4,145 school chairs made of plastic wastes

In a span of two years, Sen. Cynthia Villar said a total of 4,145 school chairs made of recycled plastic wastes were distributed to different schools in the country.

Villar said through Villar SIPAG (Social Institute for Poverty Alleviation and Governance), they were able to contribute to the drive of reducing plastic by recycling the wastes into a more useful form. The drive is being highlighted with the celebration of July 3 as the International Plastic Bag Free Day.

A staunch environmentalist, the senator noted that plastics remain as the most common trash, as her monthly clean up activity at the Las Pinas-Paranaque Critical Habitat and Eco-Tourism Area (LPPCHEA) would show.

"With this initiative of recycling plastic waste, we were able to create a source of livelihood for the poor, help solve the school chairs shortage in our schools, and at the same time care for the environment," Villar said.

Since the plant started turning plastic wastes into school chairs in May 2013, more than 4,145 school chairs were produced and distributed for free to different schools all over the country.

The bulk was given to schools in the National Capital Region and the CALABARZON (Region 4A). Villar also distributed chairs in areas in the Visayas devastated by typhoons.

The latest batch was given to schools in Cavite and the City of Manila.

The Nacionalista Party senator said in making the chairs, some 80,000 kilos of plastic waste was collected and processed to look like wooden replaceable parts of a school chair, which could last up to 20 years. One school chair needs 20 kilos of soft plastics such as food wrappers to produce.

When opened in May 24, 2013, the P2-million recycling facility located in Las Pinas was the second of its kind in the country and the first in Metro Manila. The technology from the Davao-based Envirotech Waste Recycling Inc. was used in the facility.

The senator said she was surprised to learn that there was high demand for the recycled chairs due to the numerous requests from school administration and local government officials.

"We are willing to accommodate as long as they are willing to wait. At present, we can only produce 250 pieces a month. We want to build more to benefit more students. Villar Sipag will build similar plants in the Visayas and Mindanao," Villar said.

The International Plastic Bag Free Day is a yearly recurring event to raise awareness on the harm single use plastic bags cause to marine life and the environment.