In observance of World Oceans Day, SM Cares held a special version of its Plastic Waste Collection Program in partnership with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – National Capital Region (DENR-NCR) to underscore the importance of adopting sustainable habits such as reducing plastic consumption and planting trees.
Conducted simultaneously in the following SM malls: Megamall, Mall of Asia, North EDSA, Fairview, Southmall, East Ortigas, Marikina, and Marilao, the activity supported DENR-NCR’s Community PanTREE, a program that was launched in 2021 with the aim of providing free fruit-bearing seedlings to encourage urban and backyard gardening.
Participants who brought at least 1 kg of plastic waste each got a free seedling from the Community PanTREE. More than 700 kg of plastic was collected through the activity, and has distributed 700 pcs of seedlings across the 8 collection venues.
“The goal of this activity is to help divert plastic waste from ending up in landfills and bodies of water while also giving the participants the opportunity to grow their own trees,” said Director of SM Cares’ Program on Environment Engr. Liza Silerio.
SM’s Plastic Waste Collection program has gathered over 16,000 kg of plastic for re-processing since it began in 2021. Currently available in 12 SM malls, it is just one of SM Cares’ numerous sustainability projects. The pioneering Trash to Cash recycling market and the E-Waste Collection Programs round up the initiatives on solid waste management. Other projects include the annual Green Film Festival, which promotes environmental awareness; the AweSMSeas project in partnership with the USAID and PRRCI, which promotes responsible plastic waste management; and the International Coastal Cleanup that gathers thousands of volunteers every year, among others.
Through these efforts, SM Cares supports the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly “SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation,” “SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities,” “SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production,” “SDG 13: Climate Action,” “SDG 14: Life Below Water,” and “SDG 15: Life on Land.”