‘Junk art’ project in Subic Freeport to promote waste reduction, segregation

These “junk art” figures made of recyclable plastic bottles are displayed along the waterfront area of the Subic Bay Freeport. (Photo courtesy of Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority)

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — An upcycling project aimed at encouraging the youth to turn waste products into junk art is slated here from November 15-19 to promote waste reduction and segregation, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) said Tuesday.

In a statement, the agency said the project dubbed “From Scrap to Craft” is part of its 10th Recyclables Collection Event (RCE), asking participants to use wastes collected from coastal and river clean-up and other recycling activities and convert them into junk art.

“Thrash are just resources out of place. And with this project, we can show the community that certain materials that we normally throw away could be turned into art pieces that would not just be Instagram-worthy but could even be sold for extra income,” Dela Llana said.

She said cash prizes await those who would come up with the best entries to encourage more participants and introduce the idea that upcycling could be “profitable” and “worth their time.”

According to Dela Llana, the SBMA has been staging recyclables collection as a bi-annual event inside the free port with the support of business locators, residents, government agencies and private groups.

She said another component of the upcoming RCE is the “Refill Revolution for a Cause” that would feature a bazaar sale of cleaning products.

“Stakeholders can buy detergent, laundry soap, fabric conditioner, dishwashing liquid, and hand soap by the bulk, but they need to bring their own containers,” Dela Lllana said.