FROM FALLEN LEAVES TO PAPER BAGS

FROM FALLEN LEAVES TO PAPER BAGS

I have always felt bad every time I see people burning fallen leaves, or worse, putting them into plastic bags to be hauled off to landfills. It’s a sad picture of waste upon waste — organic matter that could have gone back to the soil, sealed inside synthetic plastic that will never decompose.

For so many years now, I have been looking for new ways to make useful products from mangrove trees — but of course, we cannot cut them down because they are protected by law. Then one day, I came across a story that made me think: perhaps this is the product I’ve been looking for all along — paper products made from mangrove leaves, or from any fallen leaves for that matter.

In Ukraine, a young inventor named Valentyn Frechka discovered a method to turn fallen leaves into eco-friendly paper bags. His company, Releaf Paper, collects dry leaves from city streets and processes them into natural fibers that replace wood pulp. The resulting paper decomposes within 30 days — a perfect example of circular economy in action. No trees are cut, no carbon is burned, and no plastic is wasted. European cities now partner with his company to recycle their autumn leaves into shopping bags and packaging.

That simple phrase — “from fallen leaves to paper bags” — carries a powerful message. It represents what the world now calls biowaste valorization, or the transformation of natural waste into valuable resources. It’s also a perfect metaphor for what we Filipinos should be doing: turning waste into wealth, and problems into opportunities.

Why couldn’t we do the same here?

We have fallen leaves everywhere — from city streets to barangay parks, from coconut farms to mango orchards. We have thousands of youth volunteers, waste pickers, and cooperatives who could easily collect and sort them. The leaves could be cleaned, pulped, and molded into sheets using low-cost, low-tech equipment — even solar dryers and manual presses would do. From there, they could be cut, folded, and glued into paper bags that could replace the plastic ones banned in many LGUs.

Imagine every barangay having its own mini paper factory, producing eco-bags for local stores, markets, and tourism fairs. It’s not only environmentally sound — it’s also economically smart. Barangays could earn income, young people could find green jobs, and communities could become more self-sustaining.

Which government agencies could make this happen? Obviously, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) would be the lead agency, especially its Industrial Technology Development Institute (ITDI) and Forest Products Research and Development Institute (FPRDI). These agencies already have expertise in pulp and paper research, biomass utilization, and material innovation.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) could also support this initiative under its solid waste management and circular economy programs. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) could help cooperatives and MSMEs bring these paper products to market. The Department of Agriculture (DA) might even see value in promoting leaf collection as a by-product of farm maintenance, while the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) could provide livelihood training on paper-making.

In short, this could be a multi-agency collaboration — one that blends science, livelihood, and sustainability in a truly Filipino way.

According to DOST-FPRDI studies, the Philippines generates over 35 million tons of biodegradable waste every year, much of it coming from agricultural residues and urban leaf litter. If even a fraction of that could be turned into paper pulp, the potential is enormous — not just for paper bags, but for packaging materials, seed paper, and eco-friendly stationery.

We already have local precedents. In some parts of Mindanao, communities make paper from abaca and banana fibers. In Palawan, artisans use rice husks and coconut coir to make notebooks and souvenirs. The technology is not foreign to us — it just needs scaling, coordination, and investment.

I also see a symbolic connection between mangroves and this idea. Mangroves, after all, protect our coastlines and nurture marine life. If we could also use their fallen leaves to make paper products — without harming the trees — we would be honoring their ecological role in yet another way. That would be true circularity: nature helping itself, with human creativity as the bridge.

So, instead of burning fallen leaves, why not turn them into business and beauty? Instead of treating them as waste, why not see them as wealth waiting to be repurposed?

Every barangay could pilot this — a small shed, a few vats, a set of molds, and the right know-how. The result could be a line of proudly Filipino-made paper bags and crafts labeled: “From Fallen Leaves — For a Greener Philippines.”

In the end, the idea is simple: let nature recycle itself, with our help. From fallen leaves to paper bags — from waste to worth — from neglect to innovation. That is the kind of transformation our country needs: one that starts small, grows locally, and heals globally.

Ramon Ike V. Seneres, www.facebook.com/ike.seneres

iseneres@yahoo.com, senseneres.blogspot.com 03-05-2026