The “HAPI Plastic-Free July 2025: A Nationwide Call to Action” project recently concluded, running from July 10 to August 10. This initiative, undertaken by the HAPI-Green Movement aimed to expand our internal reach and impact, focusing on reducing plastic waste across various HAPI chapters.

Key Community Engagement Moments

A significant part of our efforts included street cleanups in different locations:

• • • In HAPI Alabang, 6 volunteers conducted street cleaning efforts, including during habagat (southwest monsoon) rains.

    • In HAPI Bulacan, 10 volunteers contributed to the cleanup efforts.

    • In Batangas, there were three separate cleanup activities. As the HAPI Green Ambassador, I carried two of those out myself, with the third cleanup involving two additional volunteers, making a total of 3 unique volunteers participating in Batangas.

These cleanups were focused on removing discarded items from community streets, with a particular emphasis on plastic waste.

Beyond the cleanups, we took several other steps:

• • HAPI signed the manifesto from breakfreefromplastic.org, signifying our commitment to a future with less plastic pollution.

  • We partnered with UP Circuit for an E-waste project. This collaboration helped address electronic waste, acknowledging that a notable portion of e-waste, such as casings and internal components, is plastic.

  • To promote responsible waste management at home, participants gathered clothing and plastic possessions using the “Marie Kondo method.” This was done to prepare for future donation drives, and the project encouraged the reuse of plastic items whenever possible.

Digital Impact

Our online presence saw growth during the project period:

• • • • We welcomed 62 new followers.

      • Our Facebook page visits increased by 53%.

      • Content interactions showed a 94.5% increase.

      • Overall reach for our messages grew by 71.8%.

These figures indicate increased community interest and engagement with our environmental initiatives.

Our Powerful Volunteers

The collective efforts of our volunteers were essential to the project’s activities. Across all cleanups, an estimated 19 unique volunteers participated, contributing a total of 69 volunteer hours.

The campaign worked to strengthen HAPI’s commitment to environmental humanism and foster a culture of environmental responsibility at the local level. The activities carried out aimed to contribute to cleaner communities and a sustainable future.