What Happens to Your Hairnet After an Angkas, Move It, or JoyRide Ride?

Like many people working in Metro Manila, motorcycle taxis have become part of my daily routine. Almost every day, I book an Angkas, Move It, or JoyRide ride going to work, and another ride going home. Before every ride, the rider hands me a disposable hairnet. I put it on without thinking much about it. It keeps the shared helmet from touching my hair directly, helps avoid any lingering smell from previous passengers, and simply makes the ride feel more hygienic. Marami din kasing helmet talaga na amoy putok at amoy tae tapos didikit lang sa pisngi at ulo mo.

Today, while cleaning out my bag, naloka ako, I noticed something unusual. I had accumulated a collection of used hairnets with different colors. Some were tucked away in different pockets. Others had fallen out and ended up in my room. What started as a simple habit of holding onto them until I found a trash bin had slowly turned into a pile.

As I looked at them, I found myself asking a simple question:

What am I supposed to do with all of these?

Soon after, I began noticing hairnets everywhere. Inside our company elevator. Along sidewalks. Near motorcycle taxi drop-off points. Stuck in fences. Caught in drainage canals after heavy rain. Once you start paying attention, you realize they're all around us.

What bothered me most was knowing that the hairnets I collected in my bag were probably the ones that were disposed of responsibly. How many more were ending up in places where they shouldn't be?

Motorcycle taxis have become an essential part of daily transportation for many Filipinos. Around 45,000 motorcycle taxi riders were reported operating in Metro Manila under the government's pilot program, helping thousands of commuters move through traffic every day. Every passenger typically receives a disposable hairnet before wearing a shared helmet.

That means countless hairnets are being used every single day, often for only a few minutes.

Most people don't realize that these hairnets are commonly made from plastic-based materials such as polypropylene, nylon, or polyester. They are lightweight, cheap, and practical, but they don't easily break down in the environment. Like many single-use plastics, they can remain in our surroundings long after the ride has ended.

The irony is hard to ignore.

We wear the hairnet because we want something clean. We don't want to bring home another person's sweat, dirt, or the smell of a helmet that's been shared by hundreds of passengers.

Yet after serving that purpose, the same hairnet often becomes another piece of litter in our communities.

The problem isn't the hairnet itself.

The problem is what happens after we take it off.

As someone who rides almost every day, I don't think the solution is to stop using hairnets. They provide comfort, hygiene, and reassurance for passengers. But I do think it's time to start asking a bigger question: What happens to the millions of hairnets being used once the ride is over?

Napaisip tuloy ako whether the pile I collected could somehow be reused. Looking at the growing stack in my room, one idea crossed my mind: what if they could be repurposed as stuffing for a pillow or cushion instead of immediately becoming waste? I don’t know if that’s the best solution, and I understand that used hairnets would need proper cleaning and safety assessment before being reused. Still, the idea came from seeing firsthand how quickly these small pieces of plastic accumulate.

And that's why I want to make a personal appeal.

To Angkas, Move It, JoyRide, and other motorcycle taxi operators, I hope you'll see this not as criticism but as an opportunity. You have already changed the way Filipinos commute. Perhaps you can also lead the way in addressing an environmental issue that comes with that success.

I hope you can begin exploring biodegradable hairnet alternatives made from plant-based materials, compostable fibers, or other eco-friendly materials designed to break down more naturally than conventional plastic. You can also explore reusable helmet liners that passengers can purchase or bring themselves, similar to how many people now carry reusable shopping bags or water bottles. I hope you can use your platforms to educate passengers about proper disposal. I hope you can create collection programs, partner with recyclers and environmental organizations, and explore reusable helmet liner options for frequent riders.

As one of the many commuters who use your services almost every day, I would gladly support these initiatives.

And to my fellow passengers, we have a role to play too.

Let's not leave our hairnets in elevators, on sidewalks, in parking lots, or on our streets. If there isn't a trash bin nearby, let's keep them in our pockets or bags until we find one. If you're a frequent commuter, consider bringing a reusable helmet liner or cap. These may seem like small actions, but thousands of small actions repeated every day can create a meaningful difference.

The truth is, I don't have all the answers.

I'm still looking at my own collection of used hairnets and wondering what the best solution is. But I do know this: if one ordinary commuter can unintentionally collect so many hairnets in a matter of weeks, then thousands more are likely being discarded across the city every single day.

I've even started brainstorming alternatives on my own. One idea that crossed my mind was making my own reusable hairnet from inexpensive silk or silk-like fabric. Since I ride almost every day, having a personal hairnet that I can wash and reuse might reduce the number of disposable ones I consume. Although I still wonder: would my head be able to breathe comfortably under a fabric hairnet while wearing a helmet in Metro Manila's heat? Maybe a lightweight, breathable material such as silk, satin, bamboo fabric, or mesh could work better. I'm not an expert, but perhaps the solution isn't just finding a better disposable hairnet. Maybe it's creating a reusable one that commuters would actually want to carry every day.

A hairnet stays on our heads for only a few minutes.

The decision we make after removing it may affect our environment for years.

So the next time I finish a ride and take off that familiar hairnet, I won't just think about where to throw it away.

I'll think about what it represents.

Because maybe the next conversation about motorcycle taxis shouldn't only be about getting people to their destinations faster.

Maybe it should also be about making sure the things we leave behind don't stay there long after we've arrived.