IN THE earlier days, refilling empty bottles when buying household needs like cooking oil or kerosene is a practice especially in rural areas. It was because during those times, to some extent, these kinds of items are not sold in packets. Although, other products like shampoos and liquid soaps have already been in sachets for convenience and affordability.
But as the horrors of plastic pollution gradually surfaces into people’s consciousness, with sachets considered as the primary polluter, environmentally concerned citizens are doing their best to reduce it.
Katrina Anne Castillo found that people, especially the masses, are prone to producing more plastic waste because they can only afford things in retail sizes. And reviving a refilling tradition is one of the ways to reduce plastic production.
“We have this sachet culture,” Castillo, owner of Ecos Refillery Davao, a refilling business mainly for cleaning products, said. “Others are privileged enough to buy in bulk, so they do not have so much waste but not everybody in the Philippines [does it].”
After living for six months in Siargao and being exposed to the presence of trash in the seas, the Davaoena returned home and decided to establish Ecos Refillery Davao in June 2019.
Her refilling business became an addition to stores in Davao that promote plastic-free consumerism. Currently, her products include laundry detergents, fabric conditioners, and multipurpose cleaning liquids. Some were plant-based, and others are industrial grade which she ensures to be environmentally-friendly too.
She sourced her products from Luzon-based Kalinisan Chemical Corporation, the same supplier of cleaning materials for most known food establishments in the country. She said she was entrusted by the company to be a distributor of its eco-friendly products.
Her supplier also has manufacturing plants in Davao City and Cagayan de Oro.
“Kailangan, pwedeng bumili ang tao na hindi sya kailangan na bulk at makaexperience sila ng plastic-free na lifestyle (People should not necessarily have to buy in bulk and still practice a plastic-free lifestyle),” she said.
She said some people are unable to join the plastic-free movement because they think it only applies to those who are privileged.
“Akala nila they have this mindset na pang mayaman lang ang plastic-free na movement. (They thought the plastic-free movement is only for rich people). That is what I am trying to eliminate right now. Gusto ko maging affordable siya (I want it to be affordable for them),” Castillo said.
“Pwede tingi-tingi ang pagbili mo tapos ang quality ng iyong products is as good as the commercial ones or even better (They can buy in small portions of products with quality as good or even better the commercial ones),” she added.
For now, she sells cleaning liquids inside as much as 700 milliliters (ml) bottle that can be bought at Lazuli Shop in J. Camus, Davao City.
Her customers can order through her Facebook page and must leave at least 500 ml bottles.
But she plans to put up dispensers in the current shop by the end of January this year so people can buy as much or as little as they need using their own clean bottles.
“Kung magkaroon na tayo ng refillery na talaga dito, walang minimum. Kung gusto mo 45 ml lang okay go as long as you are joining the movement in living a plastic-free na life (When I will be able to set a refillers in the shop, I will not require a minimum volume. If they only want to get 45 ml, it is okay as long as they join the plastic-free lifestyle),” she said.
She also planned to develop a space her family owned in La Verna area into a refilling and package-free bulk or grocery store. She is also considering supplying to laundry shops in the city.
Castillo admitted people in the city are still not keen on the idea of refilling, but she feels they are becoming aware of the plastic-free movement.
What is important for her, she said, is that she is an available option in the market and hopefully, changes people’s mindset that the movement is for all, regardless of economic and social status.