Bagmaking: Waste utilization and evaluation

Plastic pollution is one of the significant environmental challenges experienced at present. Only a small percentage of these wastes are recycled or transported to the landfill while the majority are either burned or thrown to the oceans, hence, contributing to the continuous increase of global carbon dioxide emission affecting marine life. Most of the plastic wastes are laminated sachets consisting mainly of aluminum foil and polyethylene. In connection, this study generally aims to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) by upcycling waste laminated sachets into a more useful product. Specifically, this aims to contribute to SDG 12 which pertains to "responsible consumption and production" as the awareness level of the participants, specifically the Women's Association of Barangay Pan-ay, Clarin, Misamis Occidental, on solid waste management and plastic waste utilization were determined using a mixed methods research design. Purposive sampling technique was used to choose the 18 participants. Further, descriptive statistics was used to analyze the data obtained from the awareness survey as well as the acceptability of the product while thematic analysis was used for the interviews. Based on the results, the participants were not at all aware that laminated sachets can be upcycled without chemical means as it obtained a weighted mean of 1.42. The participants also appreciated the training and emphasized that it helped them hone their skills for livelihood. Hence, the researchers suggest that plastic wastes, specifically laminated sachets, be gathered at source, completely sanitized and ready for upcycling. Another product which may be of high demand may also be developed.