Recycling advocate Ofelia Panganiban of the EcoWaste Coalition, a waste and pollution watchdog, emphasized this point as she lauded Makati City’s “3B sa Pasko” recycling project.
“3B sa Pasko,” which stands for “Basura’y Bawasan, Balik-Gamitin at Baguhin ang Anyo sa Pasko,” seeks to reduce the waste volume during the holidays, as well as promote recycling awareness among city residents.
“Making Christmas decorations from common household discards is an eco-friendly way of expressing the Christmas spirit without creating trash,” said Panganiban.
“It’s also wallet-friendly and will surely not put a dent in the family budget,” she added.
Instead of buying pricey Christmas trees, one can turn the frame or skeleton of an old worn umbrella into a mini-Christmas tree garnished with used cake or gift ribbons and ornaments from used aluminum foil and other discards, she said.
Alternatively, used cardboard boxes, tin cans and plastic bottles in different sizes can be arranged from big to small resembling a Christmas tree to suit one’s taste and the space available, she suggested.
Old Christmas cards, ribbons and wrappers and even scratched CD disks can be used to decorate the recycled Christmas tree.
Atthe ongoing “3B sa Pasko” exhibit at the old Makati City Hall, the EcoWaste Coalition saw a variety of Christmas lanterns fashioned out of bottle caps, beverage plastic bottles, drinking straws and doy packs.
“The basic rule is for you to look around your home, find stuff that can be put into creative use and simply find the time to do it,” Panganiban said.
“Recycling is good for the environment. It’s a good family bonding activity, and a good source of added income for enterprising groups and individuals,” she said.
Panganiban noted that Makati’s “3B sa Pasko” participants generated P139,527 in total sales in 2010, an eight percent increase from the 2009 sales.
“We hope our community recyclers will earn more this year and prove once again that ‘may pera sa basura’ (there’s money in trash),” she stated.
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