Students redesign, repurpose decommissioned resto furniture
Every year, McDonald’s Philippines renovates 70 stores across the country, leaving decommissioned furniture in warehouses. Instead of waiting for it to be sold, the quick service restaurant (QSR) welcomed the idea of creative agency Leo Burnett Group to transform old materials into new school furniture that can be donated to public schools nationwide. The project was named ReClassified.
“Each year, around 70 McDonald’s restaurants undergo renovations, resulting in a significant amount of decommissioned yet fully usable materials—chairs, tables, steel, wood, and plastic,” said Adi Timbol-Hernandez, Golden Arches Development Corp. (McDonald’s Philippines) assistant vice president for Corporate Relations and Impact. “These materials are repurposed into classroom furniture, enhancing the learning environment for public school students.”
ReClassified continues to grow with new partnerships, such as the collaboration with De La Salle University-College of Saint Benilde (CSB), as it encouraged its Interior Design and Industrial Design students through a competition to come up with their own inspired and creative takes on sustainable furniture design.
The students based their designs on the available materials from McDonald’s warehouse, and each entry showcased a fresh take on the school furniture that would benefit their fellow students from public schools. Three of the best designs were named and showcased at the “A’kin-Atin x Daong x ReClassified Exhibit” held at Ayala Malls, Manila Bay on Nov. 25 to Nov. 29.
The judges had a difficult time determining the finalists for the competition. The entries were so outstanding that McDonald’s Philippines decided to double the prizes. The company also deemed it necessary to reward all those who joined the competition for their excellent designs.
The winners of the ReClassified Student Competition are Benilde’T Different (first place), which includes Industrial Design students Ralf Dylan Sales, Ma. Minermila A. Espeleta, Justin Benedict R. Osorio, and Glenn Laurence H. Hernandez; Team ASRA (second place), comprised of Industrial Design Students Ali Arricivita, Abby Lim, Pablo Santino So, and Reese Yulo; and 4Town (third place), comprised of Interior Design students Patricia Malijan, Amara Averion, Ginelle Poblete, and Chloe Tan.
Since its launch, McDonald’s has distributed 500 chairs to schools in Isabela, Marikina, Cebu, and Sta. Rosa.
This December, ReClassified will be expanding its reach to Mindanao, bringing chairs and school furniture to hard-to-reach areas.
By the end of this year, ReClassified will be able to reach 1,500 student-beneficiaries.
Visit omcdonalds.com.ph/reclassified.
