In 2020, Nestlé Philippines became the first multinational fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) company in the country to attain plastic neutrality by recovering the equivalent amount of plastic it has put out in the market. Fast forward to now, it has been able to maintain its plastic neutral status, retrieving over 52 million kilos of plastic in the past two years.
This feat was made possible through the company’s various initiatives such as the development of more packaging innovations, increased collection and recycling efforts, and promoting solid waste management (SWM) education.
As a way to mark this milestone, Nestlé Philippines together with GMA Network and the Climate Change Commission (CCC) conducted a cleanup drive last September 30. More than 200 volunteers composed of artists from SPARKLE GMA Artist Center (SPARKLE), and employees from Nestlé Philippines, GMA Network, and CCC volunteered to collect plastic and other wastes from the shore of Las Piñas Parañaque Critical Habitat & Ecotourism Area (LPPCHEA).
“It is very important for us to have our employees, our ambassadors, and our partners to physically do it. It is not just about spending the money to retrieve the plastic, but it is for all of us to feel the challenges we have ahead of us when it comes to plastic pollution, when it comes to sustainability, and how together we can make a difference,” said.
The cleanup activity is just one of the many initiatives lined up under the partnership forged between Nestlé Philippines and GMA Network. The said partnership aims to educate the public about their individual responsibility in caring for the planet through reducing, reusing, and recycling plastics, and encourage them to be more actively involved in the advocacy for the environment.
A total of 1,307 kg of wastes were collected during the cleanup in LPPCHEA. Similar cleanup activities were also conducted simultaneously by Nestlé Philippines in different locations in the country, including Lipa and Tanauan in Batangas, and Cagayan De Oro City, with the help of local communities.
