A council-run zero-waste shop in Malabon City is testing whether the Philippines’ tradition of buying small quantities, known as tingi, can be revived without disposable plastic. Tingi Tindahan lets residents refill containers with essentials such as soy sauce, cooking oil, flour and sugar, offering an alternative to sachets that frequently clog drains and worsen flooding during typhoons.

The Philippines produces at least 2.7 million tonnes of plastic waste annually and uses an estimated 164 million sachets each day. Established in July 2024 by the Potrero district council, the shop is the first barangay-funded scheme of its kind and is run by women waste monitors, who also make cleaning products sold there.