San Miguel Corporation (SMC) is set to become the first Filipino company to utilize fully-certified biodegradable plastic packaging. The company is tapping a local firm, Philippine Bioresins Corporation, that has been developing and testing the technology for the last five years, which SMC is initially set to use for food and non-food products, such as cement and feed sacks, grocery bags and food and other single-use plastic packaging. Philippine Bioresins Corporation was recently given an Environmental Technology Verification certificate by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Industrial Technology Development Institute.
The move will be the newest addition to San Miguel’s sustainable business initiatives, which include the zero-waste returnable glass bottle system, and Manufacturing processes following circular economy principles–where by-products are re-used to create other products.
In addition to using biodegradable cement bags, the company’s cement business also currently buys plastic water bottles and bags, for use as fuels for its cement plants. It also uses discarded rubber tires and industrial sewage waste as secondary fuel for its cement plants.
Last March, San Miguel started collaborating with leading materials science company Dow Chemical to study using hard-to-recycle plastics as an alternative raw material for road surfacing, in order to reduce the volume of scrap plastics that end up in the landfills.
Earlier this year, SMC announced a partnership with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to clean up and revive the Tullahan River as part of efforts to rehabilitate the Manila Bay. It will be spending PHP 1 billion (USD 19.7 million) for the endeavor. It has also proposed a 1.2-kilometer bridge that will link Boracay to the mainland of Aklan to address water, sewage and solid waste management as well as decongest the island.
(Source: San Miguel Corporation)