Online Shop Much? JuanBag Upcycles Plastic Packaging Into Reusable Bags

The Philippines saw the rise of e-commerce platforms during the pandemic, thanks largely to shoppers happily tapping away on their phones. With the boom came more plastic waste -- torn up plastic wraps and bags.

Cue: JuanBag, a social enterprise that seeks to prolong the life of plastic packaging by turning them into reusable bags that also promote Filipino craftsmanship.

Members go house to house free of charge to collect packaging made of plastic, such as pouches, mailers, and bubble wrap, so they can turn them into reusable bags that are sold to e-commerce platforms, urging them to be more mindful of the environment.

"One day I was riding a jeepney lang when I realized: what if we remove all this this bubble wrap, tapes, all these things, boxes, in our packaging. How much plastic would we be able to save and will not go to our landfill?," founder Rachelle Lacanlale said. 

On a mission to developing an app JuanApp that will digitalize their process, JuanBag's goal is to promote conscious consumerism and foster community-based relationships among Filipinos. They partnered with a Taguig-based community of mothers, giving them a means of earning during the pandemic.

"This is the time we have to raise our voices and talk to our government and big corporations that it's time we rethink and redesign the way we are receiving our online orders. And that we know where our orders are coming from, who made it, and what are the envionrmental effects of it," Lacanlale said.

Watch this #SummitOriginals video for the full story: