From Plastic Waste to School Chairs: CMA CGM and The Plastic Flamingo Donate 500 Recycled Chairs to Parañaque Public Schools
▲ CMA CGM and The Plaf Chair Donation Ceremony at Marcelo Green High School (L–R): François Lesage, Founder of The Plaf; Maximo Santos, Senior Education Program Specialist, Department of Education; T. Sivakumar, General Manager of CMA CGM Philippines; Aurea Salazar, Principal of Marcelo Green High School; Cisette Ricardo, Chief of the Parañaque City Tourism Office; and H.E. Marie Fontanel, Ambassador of France to the Philippines.
500 school chairs made from recycled plastic waste were donated to three public high schools in Parañaque City, improving learning conditions for public school students.
The donation is part of a long-term partnership between CMA CGM and The Plaf, focused on plastic recovery, recycling, and sustainable livelihoods for local waste collectors.
Students also participated in a climate learning session designed to raise awareness of plastic pollution and encourage environmental responsibility.
The CMA CGM Group, a global player in sea land air and logistics solutions, in partnership with social enterprise The Plastic Flamingo Philippines (The Plaf), donated 500 school chairs made from 10,000 kg of recycled plastic waste to three public schools in Parañaque, marking Global Recycling Day.
The chairs were distributed to Marcelo Green High School, San Antonio National High School, and Masville Senior High School. A donation ceremony was held today at Marcelo Green High School, where 300 students received chairs with integrated desks designed to improve daily learning conditions.
Prior to the donation, many students attended classes using damaged chairs without desks, often writing on their laps. The recycled chairs aimed to address this gap while demonstrating how plastic waste can be repurposed into durable school furniture.
Alongside the donation, students at Marcelo Green High School also participated in a learning session that raised awareness about how plastic pollution fuels climate change and empowering them as part of the solution. By showing how discarded plastic can be transformed into classroom furniture, the session aimed to make environmental responsibility more relatable to students.
A Long-Term Partnership for Environmental and Social Impact
The chair donation is part of a continuing partnership between CMA CGM and The Plaf focused on plastic recovery and upcycling.
Since 2021, the partnership has supported the collection and upcycling of 720 metric tons of ocean-bound plastic. In November 2025, the partnership was renewed for an additional three years, allowing the program to continue in the Philippines while expanding waste collection to Cambodia. Under the renewed agreement, The Plaf will collect and recycle an additional 600 metric tons of plastic waste by 2028. Since the renewal 73 metric tons of plastic waste have already been collected in the Philippines.
Comprehensive Environmental and Social Commitments
Under the partnership, CMA CGM and The Plaf have committed to several key initiatives:
Donation of 1,500 recycled school chairs to public schools in Parañaque between 2025 and 2028 (500 chairs per year)
Installation of four recycling bins at the Las Piñas–Parañaque Wetland Park
Support for sustainable livelihoods for local waste collectors
Stable employment for 50 workers at The Plaf's upcycling facility in The Philippines
The school chairs are locally produced by The Plaf using plastic waste collected through a network of over 300 collection points, including schools, communities, shops, offices, and junk shops. This approach directly supports local communities while promoting environmental awareness and responsible waste management practices.
T Sivakumar, General Manager of CMA CGM Philippines said, “This initiative reflects a long-term commitment we have made with The Plaf to addressing plastic pollution in a practical way while responding to actual needs in public schools. By linking waste recovery to education infrastructure, we hope to create benefits that are both environmental and social.”
“This initiative embodies our vision of a circular economy where waste becomes a resource,” said François Lesage, Founder of The Plaf. “Every chair tells a story of transformation, from plastic pollution to quality education infrastructure. We are proud to partner with CMA CGM to create lasting positive impact in Filipino communities.”
