The Philippine Textile Research Institute is proposing a new recycling process for worn-out Philippine flags instead of the traditional practice of burning them during retirement ceremonies.

During a flag retirement ceremony held Tuesday at the DOST-PTRI grounds in Bicutan, Taguig City, the institute formally proposed amendments to Section 14 of Republic Act No. 8491, or the Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines.

Under the proposal, retired national flags would undergo a certified recycling process designed to recover textile materials for reuse while still preventing misuse or desecration. The recycling procedures would be developed by DOST-PTRI and verified by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines.

The initiative builds on existing textile technologies already developed by the institute, including mechanical fiber recovery systems that allow used textiles to be shredded, cleaned, respun into yarn, and blended with virgin materials for new fabric production.

Under the proposed system, retired Philippine flags could eventually be repurposed into medal ribbons, ceremonial lanyards, and other official government textiles.

The institute also said recycled fibers may eventually meet the durability and color standards required for future flag production, opening the possibility that portions of retired flags could be incorporated into newly manufactured Philippine flags.

DOST-PTRI said the long-term goal is to establish a circular procurement system where retired government-issued flags re-enter the textile supply chain as certified sustainable materials.

The institute stressed that the initiative is not meant to diminish the dignity of the national flag, but rather to combine patriotism, environmental stewardship, and innovation.

The proposal also aligns with TexRev, the institute’s textile revitalization program aimed at converting post-industrial textile waste into sustainable yarns.

Apart from flag recycling, DOST-PTRI is also proposing reforms to modernize the official color specifications of the Philippine flag and consolidate flag quality-testing authority under the institute to create a standardized certification system for government-procured flags.

Under the current Flag and Heraldic Code, worn-out or damaged Philippine flags must be “solemnly burned” to prevent misuse or desecration, with the ashes later collected and buried.