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 two billion tons of municipal solid waste annually, of which 45 percent is mismanaged. Without urgent action, municipal solid waste will double to almost four billion tons each year by 2050.
On Dec. 14, 2022, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed March 30 as the International Day of Zero Waste.The following year, UNEP inaugurated the First International Day of Zero Waste, to bolster actions to address the global pollution crisis. It aims to encourage global action and bring the world’s attention to zero waste.
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 resource conservation and efficiency, disaster resilience, climate advocacy, social integration, and transparent reporting.
Anchored on these sustainability commitments are the SM Supermalls’ environmental programs on waste management. Through its corporate social responsibility arm, SM Cares, SM Supermalls has pioneered longstanding programs such as the Trash to Cash recycling market, and provided support to the annual International Coastal Clean Up, among other national events.
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 that aims to transform and help the food service sector minimize its impact on the environment through 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 GUUNCo. Ltd. to implement the Japanese technique of reducing landfill impact. The technology converts non-recyclable and hard-to-recycle packaging into alternative fuel.
To mark the International Day of Zero Waste on March 30, SM Prime released 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 Corporationand 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. – Press release
