The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has teamed up with homegrown restaurant company Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC) to launch a “Plastic Waste Recovery and Rewards Program” to boost community participation in plastic waste collection and disposal.
The initiative allows residents to exchange every 7 kilograms of collected plastic trash for a P100 Jollibee gift certificate. The collaboration is designed to increase household and local community engagement in proper waste segregation and collection by offering incentives through private sector support.
Under the program, participants earn 10 points for every 1 kilogram of plastic waste collected, recorded on a Barangay Reward Card. Accumulating 70 points allows the participant to redeem a P100 Jollibee gift certificate. This directly translates to 7 kilograms of plastic trash being equivalent to the reward.
MMDA chairman Don Artes said the collaboration aligns with the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028, which seeks to expand waste minimization efforts to improve environmental quality.
“This collaboration between the MMDA and Jollibee Group is a testament to what can be achieved when the government and the private sector unite with a common purpose,” Artes said during the ceremonial signing of the memorandum of agreement in Pasig City.
He said the program promotes responsible solid waste management and inspires communities to protect waterways and divert waste from landfills.
Jollibee Group Philippines chief executive and head of Jollibee Brand Global Joseph Tanbuntiong underscored the vital role of collective action, which aligns with the company’s global sustainability agenda “Joy For Tomorrow.”
Tanbuntiong said the partnership helps ensure plastic waste is “properly processed, recycled and given new life” through their recycling partner, Greencycle.
Residents will bring their segregated plastic waste to designated barangay collection points, which will then be delivered to a materials recovery storage. The collected waste is transferred weekly to the Integrated Solid Waste Management Facility (ISWMF) for verification and storage before collection by Jollibee Group’s recycling partner.
The project will initially cover 20 barangays in Vitas, Tondo, Manila for six months before extending to 36 barangays near Tripa de Gallina in Pasay and Makati City.
A feasibility dry run in Vitas pilot areas from Feb. 10 to March 31, 2025, generated 1,059 kgs of plastic waste.
The partnership is one of the initiatives supporting the Metro Manila Flood Management Project Community-Based Solid Waste Management Program.
