MANILA, Philippines – “Reuse, reduce and recycle” is one of the most popular go-green adagés but there are still many who haven’t integrated the concept in their daily lives.

One major reason is convenience. It’s easier to use the plastic bag in the counter than buy a reusable shopping bag. It’s easier to throw away bottles and outdated newspapers than deliver them to a recycling company. It’s easier to throw away tin bottle caps than to turn them into necklace pendants.

But there are more and more platforms finding creative ways to make the 3 Rs easier to do and more preferable. 

One such platform is an online market where individuals, groups and businesses exchange unwanted items as a way to reuse and recycle. Re-Store Project, to be launched on December 25 as a Christmas gift to environmentalists, is a site where users can post their unwanted equipment, furniture and other usable items. Other users can search for the items and offer to take them off the owner’s hands for free.

In the words of founder Mark Agana, the project aims to “build a nationwide gifting movement by matching unwanted goods with individuals who can still use them.”

The point is to create a community that exchanges objects that would have otherwise ended in the landfill or worse, in rivers, streets or drainage. It makes recycling and reusing as simple as one, two, click while at the same time helping individuals and businesses save money they would’ve spent on new items or properly disposing of their old items. 

“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” is the saying behind the idea for Re-Store.ph, said founder Mark Agana. 

But despite the ubiquity of the saying, he knows many obstacles threaten the success of the platform. For instance, Filipinos might prefer to cash in by selling their unwanted items instead of “gifting” them for free on Re-Store.ph. Many Filipinos also prefer to hold on to their old things because of sentimental value.

But he is appealing to other Filipino values.

“I want to take advantage of the generosity of the Filipinos when fueled by a good cause for the environment. I want to instill in them the value of giving and make them realize how fulfilling and easy it is to live a more sustainable lifestyle,” he told Rappler.

How it works

Users follow 3 basic steps when using Re-Store:

1. “Give an item” – Post your unwanted item so that it is searchable on the site.

2. “Go Grab It” or “Message” – You can immediately claim the item or contact the person offering the item by sending them a message.

3. “Collect and enjoy” – Claim the item.

To claim, users have the option to “Pick up,” “Meet up,” or “Set up” other arrangements to be finalized with the original owner of the item.

The original owners can choose to whom they will award the item based on the list of “grab” requests they receive for the item.

All the services on the site are free. Members of the Re-Store community can build up “green points” every time they make an exchange. These points can be used to avail of rewards or discounts on products of member businesses and companies.

With enough exchanges, the Re-Store community can lessen the overwhelming amount of trash Philippine cities spew out. Metro Manila alone produces 700 tons of garbage every day. Of this, 40% doesn’t even have to be thrown away. Around 35% of generated garbage can be recycled while 5% can be reused.

Advocacy with functionality

Businesses can use the Re-Store Project not only as a way to acquire needed equipment or resources, but as a way to build up their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

The site will highlight the business’ green credentials so that members with green advocacies can make informed purchasing or procurement decisions.

Different communities can also come together on Re-Store. Members in the same town, company or building can let their colleagues know their old stuff are up for grabs on the site. Their physical proximity to each other makes checking the item’s condition and claiming the item much easier and more convenient.

The bottomline for what will make Re-Store tick is streamlining. If successful, it can streamline not only how one person’s unwanted resources meets another person’s needs, but how Philippine communities manage their trash and treasure.

Best of all, it may just be the point where advocacy meets functionality, where helping the environment is not only laudable but also practical. – Rappler.com

Recycle image from Shutterstock