In a notable achievement, La Consolacion College Bacolod’s Team Sustainify was announced an awardee of the Circular Connect Competition organized by Circular Cities Asia. The triumph came after the team successfully presented the final pitch of their innovative circular solution during the 2nd National Stakeholder Forum of the 3RproMar Project (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle to Protect the Marine Environment and Coral Reefs), co-hosted by GIZ (German Agency for International Cooperation GmbH) and the ASEAN Secretariat.
Team Sustainify took the stage at the National Stakeholder Forum, addressing a distinguished audience comprising representatives from the German Embassy, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Environment Management Board, Circular Cities Asia, the United Nations Development Programme, UN Habitat, Friends of Hope, and other key stakeholders from the academe and civil society organizations.
The team’s identified problem centered on the inadequate management of plastic waste in Western Visayas and Bacolod City, leading to issues in residential areas related to sanitation and community health. Furthermore, the problem had far-reaching consequences on eco-tourism, the fishing industry, and marine biodiversity.
The core of Team Sustainify’s solution, the “Sustainify” app, was presented as a comprehensive circular solution aligned with the principles of the Circular Economy. The app seeks to establish partnerships with Local Government Units, Waste Management Companies, and Local Businesses to foster a culture of sustainability. At its heart, Sustainify features a network of local plastic recovery hubs, allowing users to easily locate and drop off segregated plastic waste, earning in-app rewards and vouchers as incentives. The collected plastic waste is then transported to partner recycling centers, forming a closed-loop system that diverts waste from landfills and promotes a sustainable lifestyle.
Emphasizing compliance with the new Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) law, the app enables users to identify the brands of their plastic waste through barcode scanning, contributing to the tracking and reporting of plastic waste generation by large corporations.
Team Sustainify, led by Edmark Luis C. Monotilla (Project Lead – BSHM), Eden E. Gamilla (Lead Researcher – BLIS), Jann Mari L. Poblador (Lead Developer – BSIT), and Reinshan I. Maspara (Lead Designer – BS Arch), under the guidance of Mr. Adryan J. Valiao, LPT (Team Coach and LCCB IEAP Coordinator), demonstrated excellence in their circular solution, securing the top spot.
The other awardees were Central Philippine University’s Clean Flow Project and the University of the Philippines – Visayas’ Project UPgrade.
The conclusion of the forum marks the culmination of the Circular Connect Competition, which commenced in August 2023. In their closing statement, Team Sustainify declared, “Sustainify is more than an app – it’s a movement. It unites technology, community, and environmental consciousness in the fight against plastic waste. Sustainability is not a distant dream; it’s a reality waiting to be realized. Will we be the catalysts for change, or will we be remembered for our inaction?” The team’s resounding success serves as a testament to La Consolacion College Bacolod’s commitment to promoting its core value and institutional graduate attribute of being ecological stewards of God’s creation. #lccbPRIDE #lccbIEAP #GreenerLCCB #BuildingDreamsTogetherwithLCCB #LetsGoCirculaRRR