Feed Your Empty PET Bottles into SM’s New Green Recycling Machines

GR Machines deployed in SM Malls nationwide set to make recycling easy, fun, and rewarding

Your empty PET bottles have somewhere better to go than landfills—and SM is taking them there.

 

Through the newly-deployed Green Recycling Machines (GR Machines), SM Prime Holdings Inc. (SM Prime) uses the nationwide reach of SM Supermalls to make sustainable action easy, accessible, and rewarding for mallgoers all over the country.

“The GR Machines enrich the SM Group’s existing waste management efforts under the SM Green Movement,” said SM Supermalls President, Steven Tan. “Through the deployment of these machines, we hope to collaborate with our customers in caring for the environment by helping recycle PET bottles whenever they enter their most loved SM Supermalls.”

Each GR Machine can be operated with ease by any user and can accept PET bottles up to two liters. Together, the GR Machines nationwide can collectively hold up to 5,000 bottles in one collection cycle which are compressed in-machine. The compressed PET blocks are then collected and given a second life by SM’s hauling partner Sentinel which transforms the blocks into reusable items such as food trays.

Little makes much: Preserving the environment one diverted bottle at a time

According to the World Bank, the Philippines leaks more than 300 million metric tons of plastic waste into the sea annually—equivalent to around 9 percent of its improperly handled plastic waste. The Philippines was also noted as one of East Asia and the Pacific region’s top contributors to ocean plastic pollution.

 

Recognizing that sustainability and protecting the environment is beyond the effort of one entity, SM has leveraged its presence nationwide through its properties to engage its customers and surrounding communities in maximizing the collection of recyclables especially plastics. Through SM Cares, its Corporate Social Responsibility arm, SM empowers communities to adopting sustainable practices through simple and accessible ways to take part in protecting the environment. Arresting the growing issue on pollution, the SM Group has enhanced waste segregation efforts to increase its collection and diversion of plastics from the environment since 2007 with its pioneer program, the Trash to Cash recycling market.

 

SM Group’s Trash to Cash initiative was organized by SM Cares as the pilot community program that encouraged customers to segregate recyclables like metal, paper, and plastic and exchange these for cash on a monthly basis. SM Supermalls also followed up this effort with the launch of two Reverse Vending Machines in SM Mall of Asia and SM Megamall which empowered customers to segregate aluminum cans and empty PETs in exchange for discounts on sports and leisure attractions. On top of these, SM also hosts nationwide coastal clean-up drives annually through the strength and effort of its workforce volunteers.

With the latest in mobile recycling technology, SM’s GR Machines encourage customers to turn good intentions into daily environmentally-conscious actions in three easy steps:

1. Feed any PET bottle up to 2 liters into the machine
2. Confirm your deposit by pressing the prompt on the screen
3. Await your reward

“This is just a glimpse into how SM aims to enrich the Circular Economy through the elevated role we play in integrating seamless waste management efforts, all for Filipinos. We are hopeful that with the addition of the SM GR Machines, our continued partnership with our customers in protecting the environment yields a more sustainable future” said Tan.

Customers can start depositing their plastic bottles in SM GR Machines across the following malls: SM North EDSA, SM City San Lazaro, SM Megamall, SM The Podium, SM Aura, SM Southmall, SM Mall of Asia, S’Maison, SM Seaside City Cebu and SM Lanang. (SM PRIME)

About SM Supermalls

SM Supermalls is evolving for a new era shaped by how people live, connect, and experience life today. More than a place to shop, it is the country’s most loved mall and an everyday destination designed around the lifestyles, passions, and needs of Filipino communities, delivering new finds, fresh concepts, and meaningful experiences, All For You.

As one of Southeast Asia’s largest mall developers and operators, with 89 malls in the Philippines and 9 in China, SM Supermalls continues to evolve its spaces, experiences, and partnerships, building destinations that grow with communities and remain trusted, relevant, and loved for generations. Your Most Loved Supermall, SM — All For You.

About SM Green Movement

SM Prime Holdings, Inc. (SM Prime) is one of the largest integrated property developers in Southeast Asia, committed to creating sustainable, innovative, and inclusive spaces for Filipinos. Guided by its vision of building a better future, SM Prime develops malls, residences, offices, hotels, and leisure properties that support the growth of communities across the Philippines.

Through the SM Green Movement, SM Prime champions sustainability by focusing on waste management, water stewardship, and energy efficiency for lasting impact. The movement empowers individuals, families, and communities to take part in simple acts that create shared prosperity for generations to come.

SM Offices Bets on Renewables to Power Growth and Attract Tenants

SM Offices, a business unit of SM Prime Holdings, Inc. (SM Prime), is scaling up its renewable energy (RE) use as part of a broader push to make sustainability a driver of growth and tenant value.

From rooftop solar grids to LEED-certified towers, SM Offices proves that clean energy drives resilient growth.

The SM Prime business unit now sources more than half of its operational power from certified renewable energy, reflecting how clean energy adoption is reshaping the country’s commercial property landscape.

As of mid-2025, SM Prime has installed solar photovoltaic (PV) systems across 48 malls and offices with a combined capacity of 73 megawatts peak (MWp).

“SM Offices not only supports but also goes beyond the Philippine government’s target of having 50 percent of the country’s power generation come from renewable sources by 2040,” Vice President and Head of SM Offices Alexis L. Ortiga said.

Under the National Renewable Energy Program (NREP) 2020–2040 of the Department of Energy, the Philippines aims to increase the share of renewables in its power generation mix to 35 percent by 2030 and 50 percent by 2040, supporting the country’s goals for energy security, sustainability, and climate resilience.

Across its expanding portfolio, SM Offices is integrating solar grids, sensor-enabled fixtures, and energy-efficient cooling systems into building design and operations—stabilizing energy costs, improving comfort and reliability, and enabling tenants to meet their sustainability commitments.

Several of its flagship developments—ThreeE-Com and FourE-Com Centers in the Mall of Asia Complex, Aura Tower beside SM Aura Premier in Bonifacio Global City, Mega Tower in Ortigas, and North Towers in Quezon City—have all achieved LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, underscoring its focus on performance and sustainability.

Currently, One E-Com, Two E-Com, and Five E-Com are undergoing LEED O+M certification, which recognizes excellence in the sustainable operation and maintenance of existing buildings. The certification focuses on energy efficiency, water conservation, indoor environmental quality and other measures that promote the health and well-being of both people and the environment.

Ortiga explained that their approach is both strategic and adaptive. “SM Offices remains resilient by integrating sustainability initiatives into its core strategies,” he said. “Our offices are located closer to where people live, helping reduce travel time and emissions, and we are expanding renewable energy use and EV charging infrastructure to support a lower-carbon economy.”

The model is proving commercially sound. Renewable energy reduces exposure to power price volatility, supports tenant ESG goals, and strengthens investor confidence. For companies under increasing pressure to meet sustainability metrics, leasing from a renewable-powered portfolio offers both stability and reputational upside. (SM PRIME)

SM City La Union Boosts Climate Resilience with Rainwater Catchment System

With climate change driving heavier rains and more frequent floods, proactive flood prevention has become a key part of building resilient communities.

The newly opened SM City La Union becomes the 30th SM mall to install a rainwater catchment system, supporting thousands of residents in flood-prone areas and demonstrating how business innovation protects communities.

SM City La Union, now the 30th mall of SM Prime Holdings, Inc. (SM Prime) that features a rainwater catchment facility, expands its network of climate-resilient infrastructure nationwide. For SM Supermalls, catchment facilities are designed to collect and store large volumes of stormwater, preventing runoff that could otherwise overwhelm drainage networks.

During heavy rainfall, the catchment temporarily holds stormwater, allowing gradual discharge through proper channels. Collectively, SM City La Union’s underground rainwater catchment system can provide a total capacity of 760 cubic meters.

A design for tomorrow. SM Supermalls focuses on sustainable water use by managing available resources to meet the needs of future generations.

Each drop contributes to a safer, more sustainable future for all. Mapping every opportunity to achieve Water for Tomorrow, treating and reusing water as a supplemental water source also significantly decreases freshwater consumption. In 2024, SM Prime achieved a 26.23% increase in recycled water volume, rising from 4.42 million cubic meters in 2023 to 5.59 million cubic meters.

Social resilience is equally important as the physical infrastructure. SM Cares raises awareness on water conservation and adopting sustainable practices in daily life, helping to empower community action. 

“Our rainwater catchment systems go beyond flood control — they help create safer spaces for our communities. We hope to show how climate-smart infrastructure and innovation can protect lives, livelihoods, and progress,” said SM Supermalls President Steven Tan.

About SM Green Movement

SM Prime Holdings, Inc. (SM Prime) is one of the largest integrated property developers in Southeast Asia, committed to creating sustainable, innovative, and inclusive spaces for Filipinos. Guided by its vision of building a better future, SM Prime develops malls, residences, offices, hotels, and leisure properties that support the growth of communities across the Philippines.

Through the SM Green Movement, SM Prime champions sustainability by focusing on waste management, water stewardship, and energy efficiency for lasting impact. The movement empowers individuals, families, and communities to take part in simple acts that create shared prosperity for generations to come. (SM PRIME)