This On-Demand Waste Collection App Makes Recycling So Much Easier

Whenever I scroll online, I can’t help but envy how other countries make recycling look so easy. Here in the Philippines, landfills are bursting and yet so much of what we throw away could still be reused. That’s where Trash Panda comes in — an on-demand waste collection and coaching app that makes recycling at home feel doable.

Enter: Trash Panda, a waste collection and coaching app created by the eco-conscious minds behind local startup company Circula Recoon. This young brand may still be growing, but it’s already pushing Pinoys to live a little greener — and we’re loving the fresh approach.

Also read: I’m Minimising My Online Shopping This Year — Here’s Why

Trash Panda: Making an eco-friendly lifestyle more attainable

As CirculeRecoon puts it, Trash Panda is an “on-demand recoverable waste collection and coaching app.” Basically, this means that this service allows you to put your waste to better use without the need to step out of your home. Not only that — the company is already developing the app’s “Coaching Corner” feature, which they consider a vital part of their service; this will include tutorials on how to make proper waste management a regular part of your lifestyle.

So, how exactly does the service work?

Trash Panda is available on Google Play and App Store! They also have their own web app as well, so you can make your bookings via desktop. For now, Trash Panda collectors cover select spots in Metro Manila and Rizal (with more areas to come soon):

• Makati

• Mandaluyong

• Manila

• Marikina

• Parañaque

• Pasay

• Pateros

• Pasig

• Quezon City

• San Juan

• Taguig

• Cainta

Image credit: Trash Panda

Items accepted

Currently, Trash Panda only accepts the following:

• Plastics

• Paper

• Cardboard

• Metals

• Used beverage cartons

Steps

The process, thankfully, is easy as 1-2-3! Here’s all you need to do:

1. Download the Trash Panda app and sign up for an account.

2. Fill out the booking form.

3. Wait for the collector to arrive on your preferred date. You will receive reminders before and on the day of your scheduled pick-up via your provided contact details. You may also check on the status and location of your collector via the app.

4. Make sure to prepare your items appropriately. These must be clean, dry, and free of residue and strong smells. You can check out the complete list of instructions on Trash Panda's facebook page.

5. The collector will weigh and record the recyclable waste upon arrival. Info will be reflected on the app.

6. Trash Panda will inform you where your waste will go. (You can be sure that it won’t be going to landfills, dumpsites, rivers, or seas!) You can possibly also receive cashback from the recyclers.

Note: Trash Panda collectors reserve the right to refuse the collection of items not cleaned and prepared as instructed. 

Also read: 8 Things We’re No Longer Buying in 2021

We love that Trash Panda doesn’t just plan to do the waste collecting for us — through their app, they’ll also be sharing how to embrace an eco-friendly lifestyle in a doable manner. You know what they say: “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.”

During a time where habits like online shopping and hoarding products are widespread, we definitely need initiatives like Trash Panda’s now more than ever. Here’s to embracing better habits and being kinder to Mother Earth!

For more information, you may visit Trash Panda’s official Facebook page or Circula Recoon’s official website.

Featured image credit: Science Photo Library via Canva Pro