LOOK: These Zero Waste Products Currently Exist in Manila

I’ve been practicing a zero-waste lifestyle since January. I remember sitting in a dainty coffee shop with all of my pens scattered on the table and writing down my goals for the year. One of them was to be more ‘environmentally conscious’. Sadly, the Philippines is one of the biggest contributors to plastic waste in the world. There is no surprise there because truth to be told: we are irresponsible citizens. We are all part of the problem.

I started to become more environmentally conscious when I attended a Marine Conservation seminar last year. Seeing how many plastics end up in our ocean was really eye-opening for me. I literally grew up on a beach and never thought that our seas were becoming more of a large garbage can instead of a habitat for sea creatures.

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I started my eco-journey by ditching the straw, but living a zero-waste lifestyle is more than that. So, when I found a one-of-a-kind fair on Facebook, I knew I had to visit it to expand my knowledge on a zero-waste lifestyle.

The Good Trade Ph held its first ever fair at Bonifacio High Street Central Mall. What is amazing about this fair is that only one person organized everything from start to finish. Meet Jana Bunagan.

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Jana brought together more than a dozen concessionaires with the same goal: to promote a sustainable lifestyle to Filipinos. From reusable coffee cups to refillable toothpaste, name it and it was there.

Bamboo Toothbrushes and Organically Made Kitchen Staples

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The Humble Market offers bamboo toothbrushes, so you can now ditch your old plastic ones. They offer a low price per piece, making it more affordable to Filipinos. Aside from toothbrushes; they also sell pasta, quinoa, chia seeds, etc. for those who don’t want to buy in bulk.

Handwoven Placemats and Coasters

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Why settle for plastic wear and tear placemats and coasters when Mildivas can give your dining table a pop of color with their reusable handwoven placemats and coasters? Aside from being sustainable, you’ll also get to help Gawad Kalinga if you purchase their products; the proceeds will help fund their community.

Organic Skin Care

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Going zero-waste should not hinder you from taking good care of your skin. Organic Alley sells quality made products at affordable prices. Plus, you can return the bottles of their products and get 10% off on your next purchase!

Liquid Soaps, Sanitizers, and Refillable Shampoo

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You really can’t buy sanitizer or shampoo without purchasing any plastic, but you can always refill them without adding a pile of plastic to your stuff. Just bring a container to The Good Fair and refill it with whatever you need. All you have to do is weigh your container, write down the product’s name, fill it up, weigh it again once it’s filled with the product, and pay!

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They also sell organically made kitchen condiments.

Organic Body Soap and Shampoo Bars

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Squeaky Clean Kids offers handmade organic antibacterial soap that smell so good! And their shampoo bar? Don’t even get me started on how nice it smells. What I like about this brand is that they have a purpose: for every purchase, you automatically fund soaps for children in their communities. Think of a hygiene kit for kids, basically.

Organic Deodorant and Toothpaste

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This one is my favorite booth. Zero Basics offers a variety of organic products that you can refill for cheaper once you run out. I love their packaging and the nice people behind it. I bought a huge bottle of all-natural deodorant for just Php250. I also bought some Black Toothpaste for only Php180. I can’t wait to refill them when I’ve used them up.

Cute and Colorful Coffee Cups

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Who says that living a zero-waste lifestyle is corny and boring? Time to ditch your coffee cups for Frank Green Philippines cute and handy tumblers. It is microwave-safe and fits most of coffee shops’ cup sizes at 8 and 12 oz.

Coral Friendly Sunblock

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Originally from Siargao, Green Habit sunblock is coral friendly. You see, regular sunblock can poison our coral reefs with its chemical components. Ever since I learned about this, I haven’t bought sunblock because I wanted to make sure that my next purchase would not harm our beautiful coral reefs. Here is the solution to that!

Cute Accessories

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Whether you want some cool unique slippers or one-of-a-kind bags or even DIY dye, Indayog has all of these cute accessories for you. Plus point: they all scream of FILIPINO PRIDE once worn.

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Aside from these amazing booths, there were also a few talks about leading a sustainable zero-waste lifestyle. I even got to catch the eco-brick workshop on their first day. It is awesome to see such a good community giving time and effort to make our world a better place to live in.

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The Good Trade Fair was a success and we can’t wait for its next leg!

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