Cagayan de Oro’s “Pinyapel”, a specialty paper made of discarded pineapple leaves from Bukidnon plantations, has won the 2019 D&AD Future Impact Awards.
The Filipino innovation called “Pinyapel”, a combination of local words “pinya” (pineapple) and “papel” (paper), was hailed winner in the Environment and Sustainability category and will be given the Wood Pencil award at the D&AD Impact Showcase to be held in New York on November 6, 2019.
The “Pinyapel” upcycles material from tons of wastes from the biggest export industry in Northern Mindanao and is described as “a sustainable innovation to transform waste into new and useful material, a forward-thinking approach to combat the growing problem on non- biodegradable plastic.”
Pinyapel is a result of the materials research and development initiative of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-Design Center of the Philippines (DCP), and is a collaborative project between Design Center, Nature’s Fresh Pineapples (supplier of discarded pineapple leaves), CDO Handmade Paper (paper sheet processer), and Ideatechs Packaging (converter to food packaging applications).
Cagayan de Oro Handmade Paper Crafts has successfully used the pinyapel for its cups, bags, and other food containers. DTI Misamis Oriental described the locally-manufactured specialty paper as “the future of packaging” for its water-resistant property.
As a Future Impact awardee, Design Center will undergo a mentoring and training program designed to accelerate pinyapel’s development in order to deliver tangible impact in their category area within 12 months. The D&AD Future Impact Programme supports great ideas that have the potential to change the world.
This 2019, Pinoy innovation anchored in sustainability have been receiving recognition in various parts of the world.
Puerto Princesa’s Eco-Artist JC Jandro Enon was hailed an iCARES Earth Hero Awardee for his Moto In Can miniature creations made out of used aluminum cans.
The Hongkong & Shanghai Hotels’ Janice Lao received Edie’s Sustainability Leader of the Year – considered the Oscars for Global sustainability – by showing her “ability to generate ground-breaking efforts on new issues in new contexts, driving progress on innovative financial instruments and initiatives.”
Muntinlupa National High School (MNHS) from the Philippines has won top honors at the prestigious Zayed Sustainability Prize in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for their “RevAMP: Revitalized Algae Micro-farm Projects”.
Liter of Light (1LL) Founder Illac Diaz bagged silver at the Edison Awards after he and his team successfully circumnavigated the world in 100 days and brought the idea of creating sustainable lamps made of upcycled materials in different countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
SEND congratulations in the comments below to the Pinyapel teams for their newest international recognition!
Like, Follow, Subscribe to GoodNewsPilipinas.com Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Good News Pilipinas! TV on YouTube, new story notifications and e-mail newsletters for updates on more Filipino Pride stories.
