Dow Upcycled Chairs Project: A Journey to Sustainability and Collaboration

As we journey to better our lives every day, we have become more conscious of how we affect this world that we live in. Likewise, this generation has become more aware of its footprint – how we move, our wastes, our impact – and together, we address any threat to help make our lives better. With this in mind, sustainability has remained one of the primary ways to reach a greener future and healthier environment. And no doubt, Dow has found a way to help us in this journey.

Dow Philippines had a successful turnover of the Upcycled School Chairs to three remote public schools in Botolan, Zambales. Almost 150 chairs were granted to Burgos, Owaog, and Palis Elementary School. This is the 3rd batch from the project, which has been in the works since June 2020, giving 430 chairs for students and teachers in 9 public schools.

Plastic wastes have been a pressing problem for decades, and various efforts have been put to use to solve this problem. To help alleviate this critical issue, Dow has been taking an active role in cleaning up plastics in the country.

In its recent project, to give new life to hard-to-recycle wastes, Dow collected tons of empty plastic sachets and partnered with Sentinel Upcycling Technologies to combine the plastic wastes with Dow Fusabond – a functional polymer that serves as a plastic compatibilizer. This project has led to the production of the Upcycled Chairs, which were donated to the chosen public schools.

As we ease restrictions, the economy and schools are slowly returning from Covid-19. Preparations are being made, such as implementing health protocols for in-person classes, facility renovations, and scheduling periods. This is where Dow extends its help to provide chairs in the pilot face-to-face classes, specifically in the recent turnover to three remote elementary schools.

The recipients of this project have been chosen in partnership with PBSP, a non-governmental organization, wherein a careful selection process was done to introduce diversity and inclusion in the mix, especially those in remote areas.