SM Prime: Creating infrastructure for plastic-free communities

According to the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), the global production of plastics is forecasted to reach 1,100 million tonnes by 2050, with severe environmental, social, economic, and human health consequences. 

As one of Southeast Asia’s largest integrated property developers, SM Prime Holdings, Inc. (SM Prime) remains committed to creating thriving, sustainable cities. 

With a waste-free future as part of its environmental strategy, SM Prime encourages the observation of International Plastic-free Day on May 25 and its call to rethink single-use plastics (SUP) for one day. Moreover, SM Prime celebrates the group-wide strides made to support the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Act of 2022.

A group-wide movement for the EPR Law

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

Formally known as Republic Act 11898, the EPR law requires companies to take responsibility for the recovery of their plastic packaging products and to pursue waste management programs.

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

As the property arm of the SM group, SM Prime’s commitment to a waste-free future aims to create the needed infrastructure that will help support and maintain plastic waste management strategies. 

Crucial to waste recovery efforts, SM Prime equips its properties with a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF), and standardized waste segregation and management practices to help reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills. A joint venture with a Japanese environmental solutions company, the SM GUUN Environmental Company, Inc. (SGECI), converts non-recyclable waste into cement fuel or “fluff fuel” for eco-conscious cement companies like APO Cement, Holcim, and Taiheiyo Cement, as part of its “co-processing” practice.