Solaire Resort Partners with Quezon City Government and Quezon City University to Champion Textile Waste Reduction

n a meaningful step toward sustainability and social impact, Solaire Resort North and Solaire Resort Entertainment City, through their corporate social responsibility arm Solaire Cares, have donated bags of pre-loved uniforms to the Local Government Unit of Barangay Bagong Pag-asa and Quezon City University (QCU). This initiative reinforces Solaire’s commitment to environmental responsibility and community upliftment by helping prevent textile waste from ending up in landfills.

Barangay Bagong Pag-asa Administration Officer Boret Fernando, Assistant Secretary Shannen Vael, and QCU Administration Head Grace Josue welcomed the donation of 116 bags during a turnover ceremony held recently, recognizing its significance in supporting community programs and enhancing school activities.

The project was spearheaded by Sarci Razon, Vice President for Human Relations Strategic Development and Special Projects, and her team. They have previously supported LGUs and schools in Parañaque City, Manila, Cavite, and even as far as Zambales.

By donating quality garments, the initiative directly benefits residents and students while aligning with Quezon City’s efforts to reduce textile waste through recycling and upcycling—efforts actively supported by QCU’s circular fashion practices and regular participation in sustainability-focused events and programs.

Through this effort, Solaire Cares demonstrates that corporate social responsibility is about creating lasting change, championing reuse, reducing environmental footprints, and inspiring collective action to support those who need it most. Solaire Resort North and Solaire Resort Entertainment City remain committed to positively influencing and cultivating strong relationships with various organizations and local communities.

​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.  

SM Prime Embarks on a Unified Waste Management Program for an #SMWasteFreeFuture

MANILA – SM Prime Holdings, Inc. (SM Prime), one of the leading integrated property developers in Southeast Asia, is embarking on a unified waste management and segregation campaign in response to the growing global crises on waste. SM Prime aims to bring all its property groups and stakeholders toward an #SMWasteFreeFuture. 

According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), humanity generates more than 2 billion tons of municipal solid waste annually, of which 45 percent is mismanaged. Without urgent action, municipal solid waste will double to almost 4 billion tons each year by 2050. On December 14, 2022, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed March 30 as the International Day of Zero Waste.

The following year, UNEP inaugurated the First International Day of Zero Waste, to bolster actions to address the global pollution crisis. It aims to encourage global action and bring the world’s attention to zero waste. 

Strong foundations 

SM Prime’s founding leader, Henry Sy, believed that “business growth and social development must go hand in hand.” The company follows this guiding principle and has formed a sustainability policy that commits to the following: Resource Conservation and Efficiency, Disaster Resilience, Climate Advocacy, Social Integration, and Transparent Reporting. 

Anchored on these sustainability commitments are the SM Supermalls’ Environmental Programs on Waste Management. Through its corporate social responsibility arm, SM Cares, SM Supermalls has pioneered longstanding programs such as the Trash to Cash recycling market, and provided support to the annual International Coastal Clean Up, among other national events.

(Photo caption) The largest haul and biggest participation to-date: The 38th International Coastal Clean-up had 17,000 volunteers across 15 SM Malls in 12 locations nationwide. It is an annual community-driven partnership between SM Supermalls, SM Cares, the DENR, LGU’s and the volunteers from the SM community. 

(Photo caption) Scaled to perfection: One of the first recycling markets the country, Trash-to-Cash’s valuable example that waste can have monetary benefits. The recycling market is held every first Friday and Saturday of the month in all SM Supermalls to encourage waste segregation and recycling among SM customers, tenants, and the community. The recycling market is open from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM.

In the hotel and tourism sector, SM Hotels and Conventions Corporation (SMHCC) has taken the lead in mitigating global food waste by implementing sustainable initiatives across its properties in the Philippines. Their key initiatives include the World Wide Fund for Nature’s Sustainable Diner Program, that aims to transform and help the food service sector minimize its impact on the environment thru resource efficiency, plastic refusal and food waste management and contribute to the world’s future food security. 

(Photo caption) Closing the loop: SMHCC’s sustainability efforts are anchored on the 7Gs or Seven Green Goals, based on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG). The overall thrust for sustainability is cascaded to the rest of properties, ensuring that it is embedded at every step of the hotel’s operations, ensured by property Sustainability Champions.

To support these programs, SM Prime also recently unveiled its waste-to-fuel partnership with GUUN Co. Ltd. (GUNN) to implement the Japanese technique of reducing landfill impact. The technology converts non-recyclable and hard-to-recycle packaging into alternative fuel. 

(Photo caption) No time to waste: Sorting through the amount of trash at the GUUN Facility in Cebu. Unfit for recycling and reuse, the waste material recovered avoids the landfill and is then reconverted to fuel resource. 

A Vision for an #SMWasteFreeFuture 

To mark the International Day of Zero Waste on March 30, 2024, SM Prime is releasing its vision for an #SMWasteFreeFuture. “As a community, we strongly believe in our ability to contribute to solving today's waste issues,” said Hans “Chico” Sy, Jr., President of SM Engineering Design and Development Corporation (SMEDD) and SM sustainability champion. 

SM Prime’s announcement of its vision of an #SMWasteFreeFuture demonstrates the company’s strong commitment and sustainability stewardship, by inviting its stakeholders to engage in activities that will help spread zero-waste awareness and work for a sustainable and environmentally responsible approach on waste management.

“We understand that this may seem like a daunting challenge to overcome However, by joining forces, we can create a world that our future generations truly deserve – if we have the courage to take on this journey together,” said Sy. 

SM Prime remains committed to its role as a catalyst for economic growth, delivering innovative and sustainable lifestyle cities, thereby enriching the quality of life of millions of people. SM Prime is pursuing the next horizon on integrated property development and onward to building sustainable cities of the future.

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.”

Applications for 5th Reimagine Recycling Now Open! Save Philippine Seas, Coca-Cola Team Up to Provide Waste Solutions Funding

From the pool of applications, up to 10 finalists will be selected to attend the Reimagine Recycling Summit in January 2024. During the summit, they will have the opportunity to meet with past winners, participate in workshops, and pitch their proposals before a panel of experts and specialists. Selected proposals have the chance to receive up to Php 500,000.00 in funding from the Coca-Cola Foundation Philippines to support their implementation.

“Coca-Cola Philippines is proud to continue working with Save Philippine Seas to promote marine conservation. We recognize the importance of our oceans in life. Through Reimagine Recycling, we are helping support a circular economy for our packaging – including uplifting informal livelihoods, and working to reduce marine pollution in our rivers and oceans,” said Tony del Rosario, President of Coca-Cola Philippines and Vice President for Coca-Cola Franchise Operations in the East Region (Vietnam, Cambodia, and the Philippines).

The program is part of Coca-Cola’s continuous efforts to achieve a World Without Waste through partnerships with organizations. In 2018, The Coca-Cola Company pledged to collect and recycle an equivalent of every bottle and can it sells by 2030; make its packaging recyclable globally by 2025, and use at least 50% recycled materials in its bottles by 2030. The company has also opened a state-of-the-art bottle-to-bottle recycling facility in General Trias, Cavite in 2021.

“At Coca-Cola Foundation Philippines, we believe in the power of collective action and the ability to make a difference. That is why we are excited to support the 5th year of Reimagine Recycling! We continue to seek new innovations from groups who share our vision of caring for our communities and supporting our informal waste sector,” said Cecile Alcantara, Coca-Cola Foundation Philippines President.

A program participant joining a brainstorming session on waste segregation and collection
“Reimagine Recycling has enabled past winners to make new connections, grow their projects, and support the collection of over 195,000 kilograms of waste. The ingenuity of Filipinos is inspiring,” said Anna Oposa, Executive Director of Save Philippine Seas.

Applications must be submitted by November 20, 2023. For any questions or concerns, please email Ms. Mo Maguyon, Reimagine Recycling Project Manager, at rr@savephilippineseas.org.

Eligibility

Applicants should have an established and ongoing project that addresses issues in coastal community engagement, improving the welfare of informal waste pickers, gender mainstreaming in waste management, and preventing waste from river and marine ecosystems. The project must be at least six (6) months old by November 2023. The initiative must be a community-based project. Priority will be given to projects that work at the barangay level and collect and recycle hard plastics.

Applications must be by an organization, association, or group, with two to three representatives per project. Applicants may represent private entities (including startups and social enterprises), civil society organizations, or academic institutions.

Examples of initiatives

Supporting informal livelihoods
● Capacity-building opportunities
● Implementing models of cooperative organizing and community governance
● Improving facilities for workers to safely process collections

Developing circular systems
● Providing access to recycling markets and solutions
● Improving local infrastructure for waste collection, recovery, recycling and disposal facilities
● Developing roadmaps and strategies for solid waste management and/or circular economy

For more information, please visit www.savephilippineseas.org/reimagine-recycling. Deadline for applications is on November 20, 2023 (11:59PM GMT+8). For any questions or concerns, please review the FAQs at www.savephilippineseas.org/faq-reimagine-recycling or email rr@savephilippineseas.org.

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.