REVISITING THE SACHET ECONOMY

REVISITING THE SACHET ECONOMY Some environmentalists are blaming the manufacturers of sachet products for exploiting the poor, by making these products available in the market in such a way that the poor people are “tempted” to buy these. I am still not sure which side to take on this issue, but I think that it could probably be a “cause and effect” situation, meaning that the low-income market was already there, and the manufacturers simply took advantage of it. Looking at this from another angle, perhaps the manufacturers just found themselves in a “damn if you do, damn if you don’t” situation, meaning that they will lose money if they do not cater to the “bottom of the pyramid”, but they could also be blamed for excessive plastic pollution if they come up with too many sachet products. One practical solution I think is to go back to the old “takal-takal” economy, wherein consumers would bring their own recyclable containers to buy cooking oil, soy sauce and vinegar, among others. If they are willing to do that, then they should also include shampoo, and even liquid soap, and why not? Take note that the operative word here is “recyclable”, meaning that the consumers should avoid one-way containers, otherwise that would defeat the purpose. I am calling on all LGUs nationwide to act on this matter as soon as possible. IKE SENERES/05-02-2024