SM Prime: Creating infrastructure for plastic-free communities

According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), global plastic output is expected to surpass 1,100 million tons by 2050, with serious environmental, social, economic, and human health repercussions.

SM Prime Holdings, Inc. (SM Prime), one of Southeast Asia's most integrated property developers, is devoted to building vibrant, sustainable cities.

With a waste-free future as part of its environmental strategy, SM Prime supports the International Plastic-free Day on May 25 and its request to rethink single-use plastics (SUP) for one day.  Furthermore, SM Prime recognizes the company-wide efforts to promote the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Act of 2022.

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.

A group-wide movement for the EPR Law

The SM group, in collaboration with its Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO), the Philippine Alliance for Recycling and Materials Sustainability (PARMS), is developing a group-wide strategy to comply with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)'s EPR Act of 2022.

The EPR law, also known as Republic Act 11898, mandates enterprises to recycle their plastic packaging and implement waste management systems.

Recognizing the challenges and realities for businesses and on-the-ground operations through its EPR working group committee, the SM group commits to a five-year plan of action for reducing and recovering its plastic footprint, sharing alternatives and new technologies to respond to growing global crises, and forming partnerships with government agencies and other private organizations.

As the SM group's property arm, SM Prime's commitment to a trash-free future includes developing the necessary infrastructure to support and sustain plastic waste management programs.

To help limit the quantity of garbage sent to landfills, SM Prime provides its properties with a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) as well as standardized waste segregation and management techniques.  SM GUUN Environmental Company, Inc. (SGECI), a joint venture with a Japanese environmental solutions company, turns non-recyclable waste into cement fuel or "fluff fuel" for eco-conscious cement companies such as APO Cement, Holcim, and Taiheiyo Cement as part of its "co-processing" approach.

SM GUUN converts disposable waste into fluff fuel, which helps unload overfilled and over-capacity landfills.

Beyond compliance

SM Prime maintains its established programs, such as the nationwide Trash to Cash recycling market.  It has been one of SM Supermalls' hallmark programs since 2007, and it is becoming increasingly significant as the years pass.

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.

Trash to Cash activates SM malls to aid their communities with sorted plastic trash, incentivizing the exchange of recyclables to provide a platform for plastic recovery.  Fifteen SM Plastic Waste Collection locations now serve as drop-off facilities for clean, empty, and dry plastics.  Furthermore, the Solid Waste Action Program (SWAP) reverse vending machines at SM Megamall and SM Mall of Asia allow for the diversion of aluminum cans and polyethylene terephthalate bottles (PET), which are high-value plastic materials.

The annual International Coastal Clean-up (ICC), which is sponsored by SM Cares, continues to empower volunteers to participate in this global endeavor for a record-breaking project.  In 2024, SM Cares assisted in mobilizing 23,000 employees, students, and members of other communities to participate in nationwide volunteer initiatives to clear rubbish from the world's beaches and rivers.

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 preferred option.  The SM Hotels and Conventions Corporation (SMHCC) has long removed SUPs from its properties in support of the UNEP's drive to phase them out.  Pico Sands Hotel was also one of the first hotels to join the World Wide Fund for Nature Philippines' (WWF) Ayoko Na Sa Plastic Campaign in 2018.

SMHCC has successfully replaced all single-use amenities in its hotel rooms, including HDPE shampoo and shower gel bottles and PET water bottles.  Since 2019, bamboo or starch-based environmentally friendly alternatives to plastic cutlery have been suggested as part of the SMX Convention Centers' requirements to promote sustainable event management practices to reduce trash output.

“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. But we all have a role to play--it is every individual’s responsibility to create a waste-free future.” ~Engr. Liza Silerio, Vice President for Corporate Compliance and Program Director of SM Cares for Environment

Working together as a group to mitigate the effects of the plastic waste crises has a stronger influence on a larger scale.  SM Prime intends to successfully divert a greater proportion of plastic waste away from landfills by implementing improved waste management systems, better waste segregation techniques, and proactive community efforts.