The Recyclable, Disposable, and Compostable-labeled bins support SM’s waste-free future initiative and align with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Extended Producer Responsibility Act of 2022.
The United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) predicts that by 2050, the world’s plastic manufacturing would have reached 1,100 million tonnes, with dire implications for the environment, society, economy, and human health.
SM Prime Holdings, Inc. (SM Prime), one of the biggest integrated property developers in Southeast Asia, is dedicated to building prosperous, sustainable cities.
SM Prime supports the observance of International Plastic-free Day on May 25 and its call to reconsider single-use plastics (SUP) for a single day as part of its environmental plan for a waste-free future. The group-wide efforts to support the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Act of 2022 are also celebrated by SM Prime.
A group-wide movement for the EPR Law
The SM group, working with its Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO), Philippine Alliance for Recycling and Materials Sustainability (PARMS), is pursuing a group-wide strategy to comply with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)’s EPR Act of 2022.
Formally known as Republic Act 11898, the EPR law requires companies to take responsibility for the recovery of their plastic packaging products and to pursue waste management programs.
Acknowledging the challenges and realities for businesses and on-ground operations through its EPR working group committee, the SM group commits to a plan of action in reducing and recovering its plastic footprint within the given five-year period, sharing alternatives and new technologies to respond to the growing global crises, and establishing partnerships with government agencies and other private institutions.
As the property arm of the SM group, SM Prime’s commitment to a waste-free future aims to create the needed infrastructure that will help support and maintain plastic waste management strategies.
Crucial to waste recovery efforts, SM Prime equips its properties with a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF), and standardized waste segregation and management practices to help reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills. A joint venture with a Japanese environmental solutions company, the SM GUUN Environmental Company, Inc. (SGECI), converts non-recyclable waste into cement fuel or “fluff fuel” for eco-conscious cement companies like APO Cement, Holcim, and Taiheiyo Cement, as part of its “co-processing” practice.
SM GUUN converts disposable waste into fluff fuel, which helps unload overfilled and over-capacity landfills.
Beyond compliance
SM Prime continues with its established programs such as the nationwide Trash to Cash recycling market. Since 2007, it has been one of SM Supermalls’ flagship programs that continues to be more relevant given the times.
Available in all 87 SM malls, the Trash to Cash program has since been recognized as a rewarding community-driven practice for surrounding residents and mall tenants.
Activating the SM malls to help their communities with sorted plastic waste, Trash to Cash incentivizes the exchange of recyclables to provide a venue for plastic recovery. Fifteen SM Plastic Waste Collection sites likewise serve as drop-off points for clean, empty, and dry plastics. In addition, the Solid Waste Action Program (SWAP) reverse vending machines at SM Megamall and SM Mall of Asia enable the diversion of aluminum cans and polyethylene terephthalate bottles (PET), which are considered high-value plastic products.
The annual International Coastal Clean-up (ICC), supported by SM Cares, continues to empower volunteers to take part in this global effort for a record-breaking initiative. In 2024 alone, SM Cares helped mobilize 23,000 employees, students, and various communities that joined nationwide volunteer efforts to remove trash from the world’s beaches and waterways.
Volunteers participate in the International Coastal Clean-up (ICC) for a shared cause, with sign-ups increasing each year.
Hamilo Coast, known for its Marine Protected Areas and its commitment to living in harmony with nature, together with employees, guests, and residents, recovers plastic waste during beach clean-ups.
Aiming for a waste-free future
Reduction is always the best option. The SM Hotels and Conventions Corporation (SMHCC) has long since eliminated SUPs from all properties in support of the UNEP’s campaign to phase them out. Pico Sands Hotel was also one of the first hotels to sign with the World-Wide Fund for Nature Philippines (WWF) in their Ayoko Na Sa Plastic Campaign in 2018.
In all of its hotel rooms, SMHCC has successfully removed single-use amenities including PET water bottles and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) shampoo and shower gel bottles. Bamboo or starch-based eco-friendly alternatives to plastic cutlery have been recommended since 2019 as part of the SMX Convention Centers’ requirements to promote sustainable events management practices. This is done in an effort to reduce trash output.
A larger impact is produced at a larger scale when people work together to lessen the effects of the plastic trash crisis. SM Prime wants to successfully divert a larger percentage of plastic waste away from landfills through improved waste management systems, efficient waste segregation techniques, and proactive community engagement.
“Our work is never done. There are new technologies, innovative solutions, and more avenues for collaboration to look forward to in making the EPR Act work for our communities,” said Engr. Liza Silerio, Vice President for Corporate Compliance and Program Director of SM Cares for Environment. “But we all have a role to play–it is every individual’s responsibility to create a waste-free future.”
