PASAY CITY, PHILIPPINES – The SM Group is strengthening its sustainability agenda with a heightened focus on plastic waste reduction, rolling out comprehensive programs and policies that support the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Act of 2022. Anchored on shared responsibility and cross-sector collaboration, SM has launched a unified initiative that aligns all its business units toward a common environmental goal.
At the heart of this effort is the recently established plastic waste reduction working group led by SM Investments Corporation (SMIC), the conglomerate’s parent company. The committee facilitates ongoing collaboration across SM’s businesses, encouraging them to incorporate plastic recovery and waste management strategies into their respective sustainability roadmaps.
“While plastic plays a crucial role in modern life, its convenience often contributes to a throwaway culture, leading to one of our planet’s most pressing environmental challenges. We understand the importance of waste recovery and recycling not only as part of our sustainable business vision but also as a social and legal obligation. SM’s approach is both practical and actionable,” Timothy Daniels, Head of Investor Relations and Sustainability, SM Investments Corporation said.
Launched under the banner #SMWasteFreeFuture, SM’s campaign includes the installation of RDC-labeled bins (Recyclable, Disposable, Compostable) across its properties nationwide. These bins, along with comprehensive waste segregation and recovery systems, empower both consumers and businesses to participate in responsible waste management.
- SM Markets, which includes SM Supermarket, SM Hypermarket, and Savemore, has long advocated for reusable shopping habits. Since 2007, it has promoted the use of eco-bags, avoiding over 42 million single-use plastic bags in 2024 alone with the sale of 19 million Green Bags.
- Watsons Philippines, a key affiliate of SM Retail, has converted 81% of its stores to paper-based packaging and has introduced over 2,140 retail SKUs under its Sustainable Choices category, promoting Clean Beauty, Better Ingredients, Better Packaging, and Refills.
- Goldilocks Bakeshop, Inc., an SM portfolio company, implemented packaging optimization measures such as reducing ribbon use, eliminating 7,000 kilograms of plastic annually.
- 2GO Group, Inc., SM’s logistics arm, has transitioned its shipping materials to 100% recyclable, reusable, and biodegradable packaging, aligning with the group’s waste-reduction agenda.
- SM Prime Holdings, Inc. (SM Prime), SM’s property development arm, plays a pivotal role by ensuring waste recovery infrastructure is embedded across its malls and developments. With 15 drop-off points for plastic waste and standardized segregation systems, SM Prime has successfully diverted 63,874 kilograms of plastic from landfills.
Additionally, the long-running Trash-to-Cash (TTC) program at SM Supermalls continues to drive consumer participation in recycling. Held monthly across all malls, TTC has helped divert an estimated 12 million kilograms of recyclables, equivalent to saving 204,000 trees or reducing 18,000 tons of carbon emissions, depending on material type.
SM Hotels and Conventions Corporation (SMHCC) has also phased out single-use plastics in its hotels as early as 2018, replacing amenities with refillable or eco-friendly options.
“Plastic waste reduction at SM is about steady, coordinated progress made possible by a shared culture of everyday solutions, and a proactive approach across all our businesses,” Daniels added.
The United Nations Environment Programme identified plastic pollution as a global problem with 19-23 million tons of plastic waste going into the ecosystem, polluting lakes, rivers and seas.
