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.
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| 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. |
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.
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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, aiming 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.
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.
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| 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.
