Creating Shared Value: Concepcion goes beyond 100% plastic offsetting while supporting livelihood opportunities in local communities

Concepcion Industrial Corporation, the country’s leading provider of home and enterprise solutions, continues to advance responsible corporate citizenship by demonstrating that sustainability should create impact beyond business operations. Through its subsidiaries—Concepcion Carrier Air Conditioning Company, Concepcion-Durables, Inc., Concepcion Midea Inc. Philippines, and Cortex Technologies Corporation—the group successfully diverted a total of 885,000 kilograms of plastic waste over the past year.

This annual achievement underscores CIC’s proactive approach to environmental  stewardship. In partnership with PCX, CIC has moved past standard environmental  compliance. This collaboration ensures that for every kilogram of plastic the company  produces, an equivalent or greater amount is recovered, processed into reusable materials or  energy, and reintegrated into the country’s circular economy. With this milestone, CIC proudly  stands among a select group of companies that consistently achieve and exceed the plastic  offsetting mandates set by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

While the environmental metrics are significant, the true measure of CIC’s initiative lies in its  grassroots social impact. Central to this mission is the Aling Tindera network, an initiative that  transforms everyday sari-sari stores into community collection hubs. Over 107,000 kilograms  of the total diverted waste were recovered directly from local neighborhoods through this  program. This initiative does more than clear plastic from the streets and oceans; it builds  economic resilience by empowering women micro-entrepreneurs to lead environmental  awareness in their communities while generating sustainable, supplemental income.

For many of these women, participating in this “waste-to-cash” ecosystem has provided a  tangible pathway to financial stability and growth. Aling Belen, a program partner, highlighted  how the initiative secures her family’s future: “Dinadala ko po siya sa pangangailangan ng  aking mga anak sa eskwela (I use this for my children’s school needs).”

Similarly, Aling Lorme reflected on the opportunities the program unlocked for her family’s  business: “One week lang, puno na ang site namin dahil maraming nagbebenta sa amin ng  mga plastic bottles, sachet at PET bottles. Nakapagpundar na kami ngayon ng tindahan ng  school supplies. Kung wala itong Aling Tindera, hindi namin ma-eexpand ang aming  tindahan (In just one week, our site is full because so many people sell us plastic bottles and  sachets. We’ve since been able to establish a school supplies store. Without Aling Tindera,  we wouldn’t have been able to expand our business).”

These initiatives illustrate Concepcion Industrial Corporation’s wider sustainability agenda in action. By combining large-scale investments in recycling systems with community empowerment efforts, recovered plastic waste is transformed into reusable materials that support a circular economy and help reduce the amount of plastic ending up in landfills and oceans.

Through these integrated programs, CIC shows that responsible manufacturing goes beyond reducing environmental impact—it is about generating shared value. Each kilogram of plastic diverted reflects not only a healthier environment but also improved livelihood opportunities for Filipino families.