If you have ever visited Metro Manila, you probably noticed that parts of the city are a bit, shall we say, cluttered. Humble, a Philippine recycling startup, is hoping to change that by collecting unwanted stuff and doing something useful with it.
Best of all, they don’t even charge. Humble’s service is free as it looks to help residents of Metro Manila contribute to the circular economy. They accept all types of products including clothes, toys, electronic items, materials, appliances and anything else as long as it is not hazardous or dangerous.
From there, the company sorts everything at a warehouse. Any items that still have value are donated to charities. Discarded goods that can’t be reused as is are passed off to design and recycling partners who look for ways to recycle and upcycle the so-called junk.
Humble Founders Josef Werker and Niña Opida told ABS-CBN that Sculptor/Designer Jinggoy Buensuceso, Visual Artist Anina Rubio, Artist Leeroy New, Fashion Designer Bea Samson, and Shoe Designer Maco Custodio are some of the partners helping turn the trash it collects into treasure.
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Scaling up a Philippine recycling startup
Humble has big plans after a successful trial run last year. The Philippine recycling startup removed unwanted stuff from 550 homes and offices in Metro Manila during its soft launch. It is currently not collecting anymore stuff as it prepares for a full scale opening in the next few months.
This effort is being funded in part by winning an acceleration program organized by IdeaSpace, a non-profit organization that supports early-stage technology entrepreneurship in the Philippines. The PHP 1 million (USD 20,646) prize will allow it to make a bigger contribution towards the circular economy.
“The center of our dream is to make sustainable living the new normal. We’re calling out to the public to join the Humble movement, and take a step towards circular living,” Werker told the news outlet.
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