​SM Prime Launches Manual for a Waste-Free Future

SM Prime Holdings, Inc. (SM Prime) has introduced the SM Waste-Free Future Manual, a guide for individuals and communities to simplify waste segregation. The manual is part of the SM Green Movement and promotes a system called RDC, which stands for Recyclable, Disposable, and Compostable. The goal of the RDC model is to make waste sorting easy and actionable.

​Why Segregation Matters

​The Philippines produces a significant amount of waste, generating about 61,000 tons of waste daily, including 2.7 million tons of plastic waste annually. This figure is expected to increase with urbanization and improper disposal practices. SM Prime hopes the manual will encourage better segregation habits to combat this issue.

​The RDC model focuses on the word “able,” emphasizing that individuals have the power to make a difference through small, mindful actions. The manual provides a list of the top 10 common waste items to help people get started with their RDC habits and build "muscle memory" for proper waste sorting.

​Support and Impact

​The campaign has received support from various institutions, including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Dr. Selva Ramachandran, UNDP Resident Representative, praised the RDC bin labeling system, noting that proper segregation is a gateway to a circular economy. This type of economy aims to design out waste, keep materials in circulation, and regenerate natural systems.

​SM Engineering Design and Development President Hans “Chico” Sy emphasized that advancing waste management requires being open to new approaches and taking small, crucial steps. The project is not limited to a single organization; it belongs to all of society and requires a collective effort from the government, businesses, and communities. SM Prime believes that shared action is key to creating a sustainable, waste-free future.

​Availability

​A limited number of physical copies of the manual have been printed as part of SM Prime’s sustainability efforts. A digital version will also be available for download. The manual also highlights SM Prime’s innovative reuse programs, which help keep materials out of landfills.  

TETRA PAK UNVEILS ACTION-ORIENTED APPROACH TOWARDS FOOD SYSTEMS TRANSFORMATION

Lausanne, Switzerland, 13 December 2023 – Tetra Pak is launching an integrated approach to drive the transition to more secure, sustainable and resilient food systems, harnessing the company’s leading role in the food processing and packaging industry to effect urgent change. This builds further on the company’s lead in the Global Dairy Processing Task Force, which, as part of the ‘Pathways to Dairy Net Zero’ climate initiative, aims to explore the innovative systems and technologies needed to further drive down greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in dairy processing.

Charles Brand, Executive Vice President for Processing Solutions & Equipment, Tetra Pak, comments: “Transforming food systems is crucial for a viable future. Today, these systems are inefficient and unsustainable, responsible for over one third of GHG emissions, while one third of food produced is lost or wasted. Food systems are also failing people, with 9% of the world's population going hungry and 30% experiencing malnutrition. In addition, food value chains are driving deforestation and biodiversity loss, and are estimated to be the second most critical avenue to addressing climate change, behind energy. We cannot phase out food, but we can transform these systems to ensure they are more secure, resilient and sustainable.”

Tetra Pak has identified four key pathways to accelerate food systems transformation. The company has also established roadmaps and measurable targets for each of these pathways, aligning with the critical transitions for food and land transformation proposed by the Food and Land Use Coalition.

• Enabling the transition towards more sustainable dairy, by addressing the environmental impact of dairy processing while supporting smallholder farmers’ productivity, profitability and livelihoods.

• Innovating for new food sources, such as diversifying with alternative proteins, to complement dairy and other animal protein sources.   

• Reducing food loss and waste, by developing food processing technologies that help reduce food waste during production, including new solutions to turn low-value side streams that would otherwise go wasted into value-added products. Aseptic packaging solutions already play a fundamental role in reducing food waste by extending the shelf life of perishable foods, without the need for preservatives or refrigeration. This enables  widespread distribution, even in remote geographies with inadequate cold chain infrastructure.

• Scaling access to safe nutrition through sustainable food packaging, by designing and deploying sustainable food packaging solutions that preserve food quality and improve access to safe food.

The announcement coincides with Tetra Pak's launch of its white paper, in collaboration with EY Parthenon, which examines the key food systems requirements to better sustain both people and the planet by 2040. 

Charles concludes: “At Tetra Pak, we're not just making pledges; we're driving a transformative agenda, based on a robust evidence-base. We are answering the call for private sector engagement by demonstrating both our ambitions and our strategic plan on how we will realise them. At COP28, and beyond, we are proud to engage with government stakeholders, policymakers, industry stakeholders, customers and key opinion leaders to help transform food systems and move food forward.”

Coca-Cola PH, Partners Collect more than 1,000 Kgs of Waste in Coastal Cleanup in Tanza, Cavite

Coca-Cola Philippines President Tony del Rosario joined hundreds of volunteers in the coastal cleanup at Julugan Fish Terminal in Tanza, Cavite

MANILA, Philippines — Coca-Cola Philippines, together with Plastic Bank Philippines and Lighthouse Legacy Foundation, led over 200 volunteers to collect debris and marine waste at Julugan Fish Terminal in Tanza, Cavite, on September 16, as part of the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC).

Plastic Bank Philippines, ICC Philippines, Lighthouse Legacy Foundation, and the Don Bosco School of Theology were some of the organizations that joined Coca-Cola Philippines in collecting debris and marine waste during the coastal cleanup

Employees from the Coca-Cola Philippines system, together with waste collection members of its Ecosystem Impact Program with Plastic Bank Philippines and volunteers from ICC Philippines, Lighthouse Legacy Foundation, the Local Government of Tanza, Philippine Coast Guard Cavite Chapter, and Don Bosco School of Theology collected more than 1,000 kgs of waste to help address coastal waste issues in the area.

Zed Avecilla, President of Lighthouse Legacy Foundation, commended Coca-Cola Philippines for its longstanding commitment to responsible waste management, highlighting the company's "World Without Waste" strategy that was initiated in 2018, well before the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Law was enacted in the country.

Avecilla also emphasized the impact of raising awareness on the importance of managing waste to prevent them from getting into Philippine waters- through events like ICC. “What we are achieving through these events is the creation of awareness on responsible waste management and educating Filipinos about the EPR Law. In a way, we are appealing to their emotions to help the environment,” he said.

The ICC is renowned as the world's largest volunteer effort for ocean sanitation, with The Coca-Cola Company serving as a founding member of the Trash Free Seas Alliance since 1995. In partnership with its local bottling partners, the company is engaging employees, consumers, and communities in cleanups, providing resources, grants, and in-kind donations to help remove trash from beaches and waterways.

In the Philippines, Coca-Cola is doing its part to prevent marine debris through community-based initiatives like the Ecosystem Impact Program with Plastic Bank. This initiative helps build collection and recycling systems in communities to prevent plastic bottles from ending up in places where they should not be, while at the same time, empowering workers in the solid waste management sector.

Dhang Tecson, Global Director for Country Operations of Plastic Bank, thanked Coca-Cola Philippines for its annual coastal cleanup activity as well as the company’s invaluable contribution to advancing the circular economy of plastics in the Philippines. “Maganda ‘yung ginagawa ng Coca-Cola kasi hindi lang sa ating mga bahay nasisimulan ‘yung action, kundi pati sa ating komunidad (What Coca-Cola is doing is great because change doesn't just start in our homes but also in our community),” Tecson said.

Coca-Cola bottles can have many lives

Coca-Cola Philippines President Tony del Rosario emphasized that coastal cleanup activity is part of the company’s wider commitment to help tackle plastic waste. “No one wants to see empty packaging end up where it doesn’t belong. Our World Without Waste program is an ambitious global sustainable packaging strategy that aims to help drive a circular economy for our packaging in the Philippines. Together with our partners, we are making progress with still much more to do,” he said.

Coca-Cola Philippines President Tony del Rosario reaffirms the company’s commitment to help address the plastic waste problem through the World Without Waste global sustainable strategy and the May Ikabobote Pa consumer engagement initiative

The Coca-Cola Company’s World Without Waste global sustainable packaging strategy aims to make 100% of its packaging recyclable globally by 2025, use at least 50% recycled plastic in its packaging by 2030, help collect the equivalent of every can and bottle it sells by 2030, and bring people together to support a healthy, debris-free environment.

In line with this, Coca-Cola Philippines recently introduced new bottles made from 100% recycled PET plastic (rPET) for Coca-Cola Original (190ml and 390ml) and Wilkins Pure (500ml), in addition to Sprite 500ml introduced in 2019. The company also launched "May Ikabobote Pa" a consumer engagement initiative aimed at educating people about the actions they can take around recycling. Currently, Coca-Cola Philippines is expanding its network of over 2,800 recycling drop-off points across the country to make it easier for consumers to return their empty bottles.

SM Prime Explores Potential Partnership with Japanese Firm for Waste-to-Fuel Solutions

Leading real estate developer in Southeast Asia, SM Prime Holdings, Inc. (SM Prime) recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Japan’s GUUN Co. Ltd. to explore a potential partnership to implement waste management solutions by recycling waste paper and plastics as an alternative source of energy called ‘fluff fuel’.

Fluff Fuels are one type of RDF (Refuse Derived Fuel) which are produced from shredded and compressed plastics, papers, and fibers. These are used as fuels in cement manufacturing, paper mill companies, or power companies in Japan.

SM Prime Chairman of the Executive Committee Hans T. Sy is positive that a partnership with GUUN will contribute to the waste reduction goals of the country. “Today, Japan’s waste management and recycling technology is among the most advanced in the world,” he said. “There is no better partner for SM because we do not just talk about being big, we make sure we do it; we do not talk about being environment friendly but we do take bold steps to save the environment. I am looking forward to growing with GUUN as among leaders in solving environmental issues in the Philippines.”

GUUN Co., Ltd., founded in March 2001 and headquartered in Yokohama City, Japan, piloted the production of fluff fuel from plastic waste in Inayawan, Cebu in 2014 and recently inaugurated its P200-million, 2,400-square meter waste recycling plant in Tayud, Consolacion, Cebu. 

Since then, Japan’s Ministry of the Environment has adopted GUUN’s waste-to-fuel technology as a model for advanced low-carbon technology innovation for further deployment in developing countries.

“This will be a milestone partnership for us,” GUNN Chief Executive Officer Shinji Fujieda said after the signing ceremony. "I understand very much how important waste management is for SM and for the Philippines and we look forward to more projects we can do with the properties of SM Prime.”

SM Prime’s initiatives for waste management include waste reduction and effective waste collection and segregation. Over the years, it has implemented programs such as Trash to Cash, Plastic Waste Collection, and E-Waste Collection that have contributed to reducing the total solid waste generation across its real estate portfolio. 

Through its pioneering Trash to Cash recycling market, SM Prime has collected and recycled 1.4M kg of plastics, paper, metals, and others in 2022. “We have saved 16,766 trees from the 986,222 kg of paper recycled,” SM Prime disclosed in its 2022 Integrated Report to shareholders. 

Meanwhile, SM’s Plastic Waste Collection program, a partnership with the Plastic Credit Exchange that was launched in February 2021, has accumulated 42,541kg of plastic waste from 14 mall sites. Also present in all its 83 SM Supermalls is the E-Waste Collection program for the responsible disposal of WEEE (Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment). This drive has helped process close to 7,000 kilograms of e-waste.