Food

At the media forum Eat Well, Live Well Towards a Better Tomorrow, held on September 20, 2023 at Shangri-La The Fort, Ajinomoto Philippines Corporation (APC) discussed their vision for the Philippines.

The 65th anniversary celebration of the corporation included the event, which was hosted by multi-hyphenate power mom Iya Villania Arellano. It highlighted how APC hopes to continue to be a vital ally of Filipinos for many more years to come by encouraging sustainable living and good nutrition. I really do like it because we learned from them. They teach us how to properly manage a healthy lifestyle without compromising our wants to eat delectable meals. It is also beneficial because they give us insight for those in a diet to know what to eat properly and to know the right seasoning for food.

The Ajinomoto Group has expanded to become the world’s largest manufacturer of amino acids with operations situated in 36 countries and regions worldwide thanks to the discovery of umami, the fifth basic taste, which paved the way for the production of AJI-NO-MOTO® Umami Seasoning in 1909.

Its first landing in the Philippines was in 1958 and since then, the company has become a staple in Filipino household kitchen making delicious meals with products such as such as Ajinomoto Ginisa Flavor Seasoning Mix, Crispy Fry® breading mix, and Sarsaya® oyster sauce to name a few. Leveraging its amino science expertise, Ajinomoto has helped hundreds of thousands of Filipinos cook more flavorful—and more nutritious—meals.

“Since the discovery of umami, the journey of Ajinomoto Group to contribute to the well-being of society has begun.The original aspiration captured with our corporate slogan “Eat Well, Live Well” remains true to present times.”, shared by APC President Koichi Ozaki.

One highlight of the event was the “The Umami Experience” where media guests were treated to a sensorial sampling of umami-rich foods to appreciate its difference from the other basic tastes like sweet, sour, salty, and bitter.  

In line with Philippines nutrition challenges, which was the focal message of keynote speaker Miss Eloisa Villaraza, Nutritionist-Dieticians Association of the Philippines (NDAP) president, a fireside talk on power of nutrition followed suit.  This was participated by Dr. Jansen Calalan – lifestyle medical doctor, Debbie Fajarda RND – registered nutritionist-dietician and APC Nutrition Advancement Manager,  Roann Co – APC General Manager for Corporate Planning and Public Relations and Chef Sau del Rosario – renown chef.

Opening the segment on sustainability was a special message from Mr. Crispian Lao, President of the Philippine Alliance for Recycling and Materials Sustainability (PARMS).  This was followed by presentation from APC Chief Sustainability Officer Ernie Carlos detailing APC’s roadmap towards more environmentally responsible practices.

“As the global movement towards sustainable and equitable development accelerates, companies are faced with the challenge of adopting their own sustainable initiatives. At APC, guided by the Ajinomoto Group Creating Shared Values ASV) Principles, we see this as an opportunity to foster environmental stewardship among Filipinos in order to build sustainable communities.” – shared by E. Carlos.

The head of APC Research and Development Department Madelin Dofiles gave a presentation to wrap up the event on the special value of Ajinomoto’s technology in terms of food ingredients helping to enhance the food industry’s health and wellness and sustainable procurement.

Ajinomoto Philippines Corporation has firmly established itself in Filipino culture by serving as a reliable kitchen companion for 65 years. APC is laying the groundwork for even more successful years to come with new initiatives planned to assist Filipinos in living in healthier environments and improving their nutritional well-being.

Coca-Cola Philippines is launching additional bottles made entirely of recycled PET plastic (rPET), omitting caps and labels, as another significant step toward a circular economy for plastic packaging. In addition to Sprite 500ml, which was released in 2019, the rPET container is now available for Coca-Cola Original in 190ml and 390ml as well as Wilkins Pure in 500ml.

More than 40 nations throughout the world, including Indonesia, Myanmar, and Vietnam, have seen the introduction of at least one Coca-Cola brand in bottles manufactured entirely of rPET. Coca-Cola’s rPET bottles uphold the high standards that customers have come to expect from the brand and adhere to both local laws and The Coca-Cola Company’s stringent international standards for food-grade rPET packaging.

Additionally, more than 2,800 recycling drop-off locations have been set up by Coca-Cola Philippines all around the nation to make it easier for customers to return their empty bottles. The program helps small-business owners expand their operations, recruits customers to join recycling campaigns, and keeps plastic garbage from winding up in unintended places.

Additionally, the company’s collaboration with Plastic Bank Philippines has led to the activation of 38 recyclable waste collection branches in Cavite and Laguna. Since 2021, the partnership resulted in the collection of 546,000 kilograms of post-consumer bottles for recycling while also enhancing the livelihood of informal waste sector workers. 

“Coca-Cola recognizes that the plastic waste problem in the Philippines is both urgent and complex. Therefore, it will take a collaborative effort to solve this issue. In line with our commitment to helping build a circular economy in the country, we are working to offer innovative packaging design, expand collection and recycling programs, and forge strategic alliances with stakeholders—including government agencies, industry partners, and local organizations,” Coca-Cola Philippines President Tony del Rosario said. 

“We will also use our brand power to engage consumers in collection and recycling initiatives and build awareness that used plastic bottles can have many lives,” he added. 

Coca-Cola Philippines is working to further increase the amount of recycled content used in its plastic packaging by building a sustainable pipeline of high-quality recycled material. Its bottling partner, Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines, Inc. (CCBPI), established PETValue Philippines through a joint venture with Indorama Ventures, a global leader in green technology and packaging solutions. This pioneering bottle-to-bottle recycling facility started operations in October last year and is expected to recycle 2 billion pieces of collected post-consumer PET plastic bottles per year. 

These initiatives are aligned with The Coca-Cola Company’s ambitious sustainable packaging strategy, where it aims to make 100% of its packaging recyclable globally by 2025, use at least 50% recycled plastic in its packaging by 2030, collect and recycle the equivalent of every can and bottle it sells by 2030, and bring people together to support a healthy, debris-free environment. 

CCBPI proudly shared its growing plastic bottle collection network through the strong support of its partners— “Tapon to Ipon: Basta Klaro, Panalo!” has already reached 170 cities and municipalities and is growing. CCBPI has inked partnerships with more local government units, including the Province of Iloilo, Davao del Sur, and Camiguin for large-scale collection.

“At CCBPI, we always say that we are only as strong as the communities we serve. Everything we do builds on our promise to create a more sustainable future for Filipinos,” shared Gareth McGeown, President and CEO of Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines Inc. “We always strive to set higher standards for the industry, but more importantly for ourselves—because we know we need to do more, and you have our commitment that we will do more. We are thankful for the support of our partners in helping give our bottles many more lives.”

MAY IKABOBOTE PA: A NEW CONSUMER ENGAGEMENT INITIATIVE 

On top of the announcement of the new Coca-Cola Original and Wilkins Pure 100% rPET bottles, the company has launched “May Ikabobote Pa”, its new consumer engagement initiative to inform and engage consumers about the actions they can take to recycle their empty plastic bottles. 

May Ikabobote Pa will be brought to life through the following activities, which are also intended to inspire action from consumers and like-minded organizations: 

• New rPET labels: Coca-Cola and Wilkins Pure bottles made from 100% food-grade rPET, excluding caps and labels, now have a call to action “Recycle Me Again” message on their labels. A QR code that will lead to information about the company’s recycling program is also included on each label. 
• Enhanced consumer recycling experiences: Engaging activities on recycling will be featured at Coca-Cola’s on-ground events. 
• Digital-led communications for consumers: Coca-Cola Philippines will partner with groups and community leaders to co-create educational content for a wider audience and advocate for sustainable practices. 
• Partnership with 7-Eleven and Shell: The company is partnering with 7-Eleven stores and Shell stations to create programs that make recycling more convenient and rewarding for consumers. 

These events are intended to promote community building and serve as a reminder to customers that #MayIkabobotePa (Bottles Can Have Many Lives) emphasizes the value of recycling their empty plastic bottles.

TAPON TO REBORN: COCA-COLA PHILIPPINES EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM 

In line with Coca-Cola’s global commitment to sustainability, Coca-Cola Philippines has launched an employee engagement program, “Tapon to Reborn”, to encourage and enable its employees nationwide to become active participants in helping address the plastic waste problem in the country.  

“Tapon to Reborn” encourages employees to collect, segregate, and bring their empty PET bottles, cans, and beverage cartons to the office for recycling. The bottles are then sent to partner recycling facilities, including the CCBPI-supported PETValue PET bottle recycling plant, where they can become new bottles.  

The initiative aims to collect and sell 500 kilograms of PET bottles and cans. The proceeds of the collection will be used to support reforestation efforts in the Lagadlarin Mangrove Forest and Sierra Madre Forest. 

For more information on the sustainability initiatives of Coca-Cola Philippines, visit the Coca-Cola Sustainability Hub at coca-cola.com/ph/en/brands/coca-cola/sustainability or follow the company’s social media channels: @CocaColaPhilippines on Facebook and @cocacolaph on Twitter and Instagram

Ajinomoto Philippines Corporation (APC) has forged new alliances with four leading Filipino waste management companies as part of its most recent effort to comply with the Extended Producer Responsibility Act of 2022 (EPR Law). At a Memorandum of Agreement signing ceremony with Basic Environmental Systems and Technologies (BEST), Envirotech, Plastic Credit Exchange (PCX), and Republic Cement last September 1, 2023, at APC Makati headquarters, the food industry giant formally reaffirmed its dedication to a more sustainable future.

The EPR Law requires businesses to assume greater responsibility for the post-consumer waste management component of product disposal and recycling throughout their life cycle. Obligated businesses like APC are required to make sure they contribute to the recovery, diversion, and recycling of plastic waste produced by the usage of their products. These regulations seek to reduce and control the overall consequences and environmental impact of post-consumer plastic trash.

APC saw the enactment of the EPR Law as an opportunity to supplement their current environmental stewardship projects. The company immediately sought partnerships with organizations that would not only help make their sustainability efforts more feasible, but also inspire new initiatives for a more environmentally sound future for the Philippines.

To aid with the collection of post-consumer packaging, APC tapped BEST, a waste management consulting company established in 1999. BEST founded the Trash-to-Cashback program operating in different parts of the Philippines and the MyBasurero App that encourages waste collection through an incentivized system.

Since 2010,  Envirotech has built multiple materials recovery and processing facilities nationwide, with facilities that turn low-quality soft/flexible plastic waste into construction and furniture grade materials.

PCX is widely known for pioneering the Plastic Pollution Reduction Standard, which allows for the management of pledges from companies and institutions to clean up their plastic footprints and be awarded Plastic Neutrality Certifications for their efforts. Their aim is to protect the ocean by collecting and processing solid waste found in our waters, while providing livelihood opportunities to women in vulnerable communities through their Aling Tindera Program.

Completing APC’s new set of collaborations is Republic Cement, who launched the Ecoloop program that encourages waste recovery and processing from collecting, segregating, and shredding of viable solid waste to be used as Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF).

During the ceremony, Mr. Ernesto Carlos, APC’s Chief Sustainability Officer further assured that APC, alongside its partners who signed the Memorandum of Agreement, will put up unwavering efforts for future generations of Filipinos.

“We encourage all companies to embrace the EPR Act and take a proactive approach to managing their plastic footprint,” Carlos said. “By working together, we can make a positive impact on the environment and create a more sustainable future for all.”

APC has been actively looking for ways to reduce plastic waste in order to achieve its aim of minimizing environmental impact by 2030. The AJI-NO-MOTO® Umami Seasoning 45g, which is created from natural and renewable paper that can be planted, grown, harvested, and replanted, is the first seasoning product ever to be sold in paper packaging. While the company has developed programs that were made easier by their production processes, it has also incorporated sustainability education through the #IlabasAngSustainAbilidad campaign, which makes use of the social media following of Ajinomoto Philippines.

The adoption of APC Group’s sustainable practices and the promotion of eco-friendly lifestyles are now being done on a broader scale toward creating sustainable communities thanks to the expertise of their four new partners.

To learn more, visit www.ajinomoto.com.