Alaska Milk readies plastic upcycling facility in Rizal

ALASKA Milk Corp. (AMC) on Monday said it began the construction of a multi-layered plastic upcycling facility in Antipolo, Rizal as part of its net zero plastic waste goal by the end of the year.

The project is in collaboration with D&G Pacific Corp., RePurpose, Inc., and the local government of Antipolo City.

Tarang Gupta, AMC managing director, said the partnership with D&G Pacific to build an upcycling facility “is our way of staying relevant: offering solutions to our consumers, helping the environment, and contributing to nation-building as a whole.”

The move comes as sustainability continues to be a top priority of the company, industries, and governments here and abroad, the official added.

The facility will produce WoW boards, which are sturdy panels or sheets that are a direct replacement for particle boards, medium-density fiberboards, and plyboards.

“This plastic upcycling facility uses the TrashBot technology imported from TrashCon Laboratory in India that turns plastics and non-degradable materials that are otherwise dumped or burnt. This prevents the dumping of plastics and helps the environment by preventing trees from being cut,” AMC said.

D&G Pacific President Edmund M. Dimalanta said that aside from minimizing the volume of discarded materials and waste being sent to landfills each year, the facility also reduces the need for production using new or raw materials.

The reduction means cutting air and water pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and often conservation of global resources.

“This initiative by AMC and D&G Pacific is a forward-thinking approach that the private sector can emulate,” Antipolo City Environment and Waste Management Officer Violeta S. Faiyaz said.

“We hope to be the best practice example to other cities looking into partnering with the private sector to help reduce plastic waste that is often thrown back to oceans and landfills,” she added. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson