Residents of Quezon City or QCitizens can turn their trash into groceries with the Trash to Cashback Program of the Quezon City (QC) Government.   

The Trash to Cashback Program, a part of the city's circular economy concept launched in March 2021, provides an opportunity for residents to participate actively in the waste diversion program of the city.

In addition to motivating people to collect their recyclables and exchange them for valuable goods rather than throwing them away, it also teaches waste segregation, putting value in what is typically considered mere trash and encouraging a shift away from plastics.

The program, which is implemented by the QC Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability Department in collaboration with Basic Environmental Systems and Technologies, Inc. (BEST), enables residents to exchange and convert their recyclable wastes and single-use plastics into Environmental Points (EPs).  The EPs can be used to buy groceries, goods, and services from the bXTRA App and pay for utilities like electricity, water, and internet service through the Bayad App.

How does it work?

1. Collect trash from metal papers, PET bottles, and single-use plastics (SUP) such as shampoo sachets, coffee packs, and online shopping plastic packages. Make sure to clean it for a higher EP.

2. Check Quezon City Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability Department’s Facebook account for the drop-off and exchange booth location and schedule.

3. Download the bXTRA App to use your EPs. It should be noted that to use the points to pay utility bills through the Bayad App, a consumer must have at least 200 EPs. 

All interested individuals willing to protect the environment one recyclable at a time are invited to participate in Quezon City's Trash to Cashback Program.

Every January of each year, the Philippines celebrates Zero Waste Month. It is  a campaign to promote the design and management of products and processes to reduce the number and toxicity of waste products. (PIA-NCR)