A UNESCO-backed solid waste management program funded several university projects in Manila that aim to develop solutions to reduce waste production and promote more sustainable alternatives.

Several universities in Metro Manila participated and received grants from the waste management competition organized by the #EcoSquadGoals, a program on understanding solid waste management, led by De La Salle University’s (DLSU) Br. Alfred Shields FSC Marine Station and funded by UNESCO.

“Aside from pitching startup projects that address plastic consumption, the participants also took part in a module where they tracked the plastic waste generated in their households over the course of a month,” DLSU said.

“The data from this activity was presented on the last day of the event, where it was found that, on average, the participants’ households generated over 10 kilograms of plastic waste, mostly from online shopping and food deliveries,” it added.

After the first round of pitching, three out of six competing student groups qualified to participate in the final round. These were from the Ateneo de Manila University, the Polytechnic University of the Philippines and the University of Asia and the Pacific.

The ADMU team placed third in the final round and received a $100-grant for its project entitled “FilipiKnow.”

The group’s objective was to educate  consumers and companies on proper waste management through a webinar that would introduce them to eco-friendly brands.

Meanwhile, PUP’s Society of Biology bagged the second prize for its educational campaign approach. The students proposed a two-day seminar-workshop which would focus on microplastics and their detrimental effects on the environment and human health.

The PUP students received a $200 grant for their “Ang Plastik Mo!: Microplastics from the streets to our streams” project.

Targeting  senior high school students, the project involves engaging learning activities meant to inform future scientists and encourage them to pursue researches concerning microplastic waste in the Philippines.

ALON from UA&P, on the other hand, garnered first place with a seed fund of $300 for its proposed mobile application called SAGIP.

The app will serve as a hub that provides a data collection system for tracking waste generation patterns, including details on the amount and type of waste produced, and then directing the users to appropriate initiatives such as nearby waste management facilities and recycling drives.

Aside from partnering with universities and government units to ensure the project’s sustainability and upscaling, the group said that SAGIP would kickstart a “megatrend” of ingraining waste management practices and environmental awareness in local culture.

The organizations are expected to implement these initiatives over a six-month period, with monthly progress reports being submitted for monitoring, accountability, and evaluation purposes.