Photos by Ira Alitagtag / Palawan Daily News

Environment

Arapilak: not just a name, but a lifestyle

By Ira Alitagtag

May 27, 2019

Running through a field filled with lush green grass and bright flowers of every hue, jumping into the cold water of the river to cool off from the heat of the tropical sun, the waves of the cerulean ocean crashing against your feet and diving in to take a peek at their colorful world, feeling the cold breeze blow through your hair as you sit on top of the tree eating a fruit you just picked.

All of these are nothing but ordinary bits of our childhood but soon enough these will be luxuries that the future generations would only get to know through photos and word of mouth. Imagine children listening to these stories like it was a fairytale, something that they would not experience in reality.

Now is the perfect time to start thinking about the future; the next generation, to start thinking of how it can be helped and protected. With simple deeds such as finding alternatives to single-use plastic is a great start and diving deeper into the eco-friendly lifestyle may be hard but not as hard as you think for there are people who can help us be the responsible earth-dwellers that we wanted to be or we should be.

One way to reduce carbon footprint is to lessen the use of one of environment’s top enemy: plastic. There are alternatives to the products used on a daily basis and Arapilak is here to deliver it to you. Derived from the Cuyonon words “ara” and “pilak” which collectively translates to “no waste”, Arapilak aims to promote more sustainable and zero-waste practices by making it easier for everyone to lessen the carbon footprint by providing alternatives to single-use plastic that we have become accustomed to using regularly.

Arapilak offers a variety of eco-friendly products that ranges from reusable straws to bags and baskets made from organic materials that will not only get us a step closer to a zero-waste lifestyle but is also a practical move.

With the wide and continuously growing range of eco-friendly items offered at Arapilak, beginning the zero-waste journey won’t be that hard; you can start with switching to reusable straws that can either be made of bamboo, metal or glass, which also comes with a cleaner and a case of your choice. Tumbler, cutlery set—-complete with a spoon, fork, knife and chopsticks—-toothbrush, all made of bamboo. You can also find coconut bowls and brush that’re made of coconut fibers. There are mesh bags that come in a variety of colors like blue, green, pink, peach, as well as woven bags that are made locally.

As for the ladies, Arapilak understands the inevitable use of plastic when that time of the month comes and here are alternatives you might want to try—-reusable panty-liners and napkins for both regular and heavy flow, menstrual cup and cleaner that’s made from organic products.

They also partnered up with Best Honey PH and AC Bath n Body to offer you your skincare and personal care needs that’re good for your body and the environment for these are made of all organic materials which will leave you looking good and feeling good.

Take the first step into the zero-waste lifestyle and help spread awareness by setting an example. You can visit Arapilak at SM City Puerto Princesa, Ground Floor, NCCC Mall Palawan, at the Supermarket, Rurungan Sunday Market, every first Sunday of the month at the Rurungan Compound, Abanico Road, Binhi: Mindful Market at the Canvass Boutique Hotel every 15th and 30th of the month. You can also find them on Facebook and Instagram.