Plastic welding, anyone?
Trained plastic welders can put up their own plastic repair shop in the community.
A TRAINEE from Quezon City welds cracks in a plastic crate as part of a training on plastic welding supported by Sentinel Upcycling Technologies which is pushing the green trade in the Philippines.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF QCTAC
Sentinel Upcycling Technologies (SUT), founded in 2014 by plastics engineer and Manly Plastics senior executive Jonathan F. Co, transforms used foil sachets, plastic bottles and tarpaulin into durable products like chairs, trays, trolleys, pallets and crates. At the recent Sustainability Solutions Exchange 2026, SUT’s exhibit booth showcased its products including arm and monoblock chairs, and trash bin, all made from plastic waste.
The booth also presented SUT’s innovative service, plastic welding and training on the technology.
SUT marketing assistant Aurie Amor said the company repairs damaged plastic pallets and crates of its clients to support its advocacy of managing plastic waste.
“It’s more cost effective to repair a cracked pallet than replacing it with a new one, which is expensive,” Amor said.
Clients only buy the plastic welding rods priced at P500 to P1,500 per repair and don’t pay for the labor, she added.
SUT also conducts trainors’ training of plastic welding in communities in partnership with local government units and local training centers to create new livelihood opportunities and promote a repair-first mindset.
Amor said SUT has piloted the training in Quezon City and Malabon, where SUT’s plant is located.
“We want to have a plastic welder in every city,” she said.
Trained plastic welders can put up their own plastic repair shop in the community to earn or become a subcontractor of Sentinel for its clients, according to Amor.
The Quezon City Training and Assessment Center hosted a plastic welding training of Sentinel for community participants on 20 and 21 October. The Iloilo City Repair Hub in Fort San Pedro Drive, Barangay Veterans Village also hosted a hands-on training to support local waste reduction and sustainable resource management on 6 to 8 October. In Payatas, Quezon City, there is an ongoing training for out-of-school youth beneficiaries of World Vision.
By sharing technical know-how with community workers, SUT is helping create a local workforce that can keep plastics in use longer.
If replicated across industrial zones, ports, public markets, and logistics corridors, plastic welding could become a recognized green trade in the Philippines — one that reduces waste, lowers costs, and creates jobs at the same time.