In July 2024, councillor Khate Nolasco launched Tingi Tindahan in Malabon City, Philippines, as the first zero-waste shop funded by a barangay. The store combats plastic pollution by reviving the traditional “tingi” culture of piecemeal refills for household essentials, offering products at lower prices than supermarkets to attract low-income residents.
In Malabon City, the daily routine for many mothers involves arriving at a corner shop with empty bottles and old biscuit tins. They aren’t there for the convenience of pre-packaged goods, but for the ability to refill soy sauce, cooking oil, flour, and sugar into reused containers. This is the operational model of Tingi Tindahan, a community-led initiative designed to decouple the Filipino habit of micro-retail from the deluge of single-use plastics.
The store is a direct response to a systemic waste crisis. These multi-layered pouches are notoriously difficult to break down, frequently clogging estuaries and drains in flood-prone areas like Malabon.
Tingi Tindahan: A Barangay-Funded Model for Reuse
While zero-waste shops exist elsewhere in the country, Tingi Tindahan is the first of its kind to be set up and funded by a barangay (district). Khate Nolasco, a 32-year-old councillor and vice-chair of the district environment committee, spearheaded the project in July 2024 by converting a vacant space in front of their office. The shop is modeled after the ubiquitous “sari-sari” variety stores but removes all plastic packaging from the equation.
The store’s operations are integrated with local environmental enforcement. It is run by women who serve as Potrero’s waste monitors, who spend their mornings patrolling to ensure households are practicing proper waste segregation. These monitors also produce the liquid cleaning products sold in the shop, sourcing ingredients from factories within the city.
To ensure accessibility beyond standard business hours, the shop partnered with the Mother Earth Foundation (MEF) to install a retrofitted vending machine. This device dispenses condiments and liquid cleaning products even when the store is closed in the evenings.
Economic Incentives vs. Sachet Convenience
The primary hurdle for zero-waste initiatives in low-income areas is the perception of cost. For decades, the “tingi” or piecemeal system was served by cheap, pre-packed sachets from multinational brands. To compete, Tingi Tindahan focuses on undercutting the price of these plastics.
The price difference is concrete: a 100ml sachet of vinegar that costs 8 Philippine pesos in grocery shops is three pesos cheaper at Tingi Tindahan. By allowing residents to refill only the exact volume they need, the shop makes the transition to reuse financially viable for households with very limited budgets.
“They were no longer used to not seeing sachets and plastics. But eventually, more people started coming because they realised our products are cheaper than supermarkets.”
Khate Nolasco, Councillor in Potrero
This pricing strategy aims to dismantle the stereotype that sustainable shopping is a luxury. Regine Nayve, an MEF campaigner, notes that many refill shops are located in affluent areas where customers buy in bulk, which can intimidate lower-income shoppers.
“We want to challenge the notion that refilling is expensive – it’s not. It makes choices more accessible.”
Regine Nayve, MEF Campaigner
Community Adoption and Environmental Stakes
The shift toward refills is not merely an economic choice but a necessity for urban survival in Malabon. Nolasco reports that during the typhoon season—which sees at least 20 storms annually—the city’s low-lying geography leads to massive rubbish accumulations in drains. Clearing these blockages can take up to a month, with detergent pouches and shampoo sachets among the most persistent pollutants.
A year after opening, the store has seen a generational divide in how it is perceived. While younger residents find the concept quite cool
because it is new to them, the elderly have a different connection to the model. They view the store as a return to the practices they used in their youth, long before plastics became the standard for household essentials.
The success of Tingi Tindahan suggests that the “tingi” culture is not the enemy of sustainability, but rather a potential vehicle for it. By removing the plastic wrapper but keeping the small-volume accessibility, the barangay is attempting to prove that ecological disposal and economic necessity can coexist.
