Mondelez Philippines has strengthened its commitment to recycling by joining the Philippine Alliance for Recycling and Materials Sustainability (PARMS). This is in line with the snack company’s recently announced global commitment to make all packaging recyclable by the year 2025.
Mondelez Philippines has been operating in the Philippines for the past 56 years. During this time, the Company has provided Filipinos’ favorite snack products such as Tang powdered beverage, Eden cheese, Cheez Whiz, Oreo cookies, and Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate. Apart from this, the Company has also worked to help protect the well-being of the planet. This includes continuous reduction of the Company’s use of water and energy and carbon emissions.
In addition, the Company works to reduce the waste it creates through its manufacturing. To date, 98% of the total waste generated from its Sucat, Parañaque manufacturing plant are either recyclable or recycled, such as glass bottles or paper cartons. It also works with 3 rd party partners to use product waste for animal feeds. Inside their plant, there is also a materials recovery facility (MRF) which properly handles, segregates and shreds any packaging waste and sent to a cement-industry partner to be used as co-fuel.
A New Commitment Begins
In October 2018, a global commitment was made by parent company MondelÄ“z International to ensure that by the year 2025, all packaging used for its products will be recyclable. Under this commitment, the Company vows to make all paper-based packaging sustainably sourced by 2020, that is, using paper that has been recycled or from verified suppliers who also practice environmental care. The Company also vows to eliminate 65 million kg of packaging material worldwide. The Company will further work to make it easy for consumers to recycle or re-use product packs after use, leveraging on the vast array of local recycling systems around the world. All these commitments will build up to the Company’s global long-term vision for zero-net waste packaging.
Local Initiatives Underway
To support this global commitment, the Company will work in partnerships so that packaging can be collected and recycled in markets around the world. In the Philippines, the first step towards this is the recent partnership with PARMS. The organization is a multi- stakeholder coalition consisting of members across the waste management value chain. It is premised on developing and implementing a holistic and comprehensive program to increase resource recovery and reduce landfill dependence, leading towards a zero waste Philippines.
Mondelez Philippines has joined PARMS together with other corporations in the country to invest in a Php 25-M residual plastic recycling facility that will address the need to recycle plastics. To date PARMS has partnered with the Parañaque local government which will serve as the pilot site for the recycling program. Collection of plastic waste through seven schools in the City has already begun. These plastic wastes will be turned into ecobricks or recycled building bricks which will be turned over to the schools for their use in facilities improvement.
“This commitment reflects our Company’s new purpose to empower people to snack right by offering the right snack, at the right time, made the right way,” explains Mondelez Philippines Country Director Ashish Pisharodi. “Globally we work to ensure our products are not only delicious but are made with ingredients that are sustainably sourced, produced and delivered, with positive impact along the supply chain.”
“Plastic waste and its impact on the planet is a broad, systemic issue that our consumers care deeply about, and which requires a holistic response. Together with partners like PARMS, we can help to develop practical solutions that result in a positive environmental impact. We are also working on other initiatives this 2019 to strengthen our contributions to helping reduce plastic waste,” ends Pisharodi.
“We welcome Mondelez Philippines to PARMS and commend their commitment to a zero waste Philippines,” offers PARMS Founding President Crispian Lao. “With their support and the entire PARMS collective, we are one step closer to realizing our goals to educate, inspire and spur action from our community to recycle plastic. To not only ensure that we reduce plastic waste in our oceans, but to realize that plastic when recycled can also create something new and beneficial for everyone.”