Editor’s note: This content is sponsored by P&G Philippines and was produced by BrandRap, the sales and marketing arm of Rappler. No member of the news and editorial team participated in the production of this piece.

Every year, about 300 million tons of plastic waste is produced. In 2015, it was estimated that only about 9 percent of plastics ever produced have been recycled. This is why plastic waste is an issue that Procter & Gamble is taking seriously.

Procter & Gamble acknowledges the role that plastic pollution plays in climate change, and has long since been committed to finding solutions that can help save the environment while ensuring that customers will continue to receive the products they need in their daily lives. These climate action plans include reassessing their supply chains to make them more environmentally friendly, as well as switching to recyclable or reusable packaging by 2030.

All around the world, they are taking strides in reducing, recovering, recycling, and reusing plastic products. And in the Philippines, P&G continues to engage in meaningful partnerships and programs to inspire others to follow suit.

Collect, drop, earn

There is a growing plastic collection movement in the country where individuals can drop off discarded plastic  they have accumulated.  Other groups use recycling or upcycling centers to find ways to turn  waste into new products. P&G is among the many who are now investing in this movement and keeping the momentum going.

P&G has partnered with SM Cares to be part of their Plastic Waste Collection (PWC) Program which is run together with the  Plastic Credit Exchange (PCX), a non-governmental organization that helps corporations collect and recycle plastic waste.  Other companies like PricewaterhouseCoopers, Nestle Philippines, and Colgate-Palmolive Philippines are also participating.

Through the program, individuals can visit different SM Supermalls to donate plastic waste, and in return get 10% discounts on selected Safeguard and Oral B products from any Watsons branch.

Donors can visit the blue PWC container vans found in the following branches daily from 10 am to 5 pm starting November 20 until December 20, 2021:

• SM Megamall
• SM Mall of Asia
• SM North EDSA
• SM Fairview
• SM Marikina
• SM East Ortigas
• SM Marilao
• SM Southmall

The PWC program accepts almost all kinds of plastic waste except for PVC pipes and other building materials. Examples of plastic that you can donate are sando bags, PET and HDPE bottles (usually used for drinks and cleaning products, shampoos), styrofoam, disposable containers, utensils, straws, sachets, bubble wrap, and small tires. The plastics must be empty, clean, and dry.

Plastics collected in these points will be turned into other products like cement, pavement, planks, chairs, and more.

P&G is committed to fight plastic pollution

Joining the plastic waste collection program is by no means P&G’s only effort in curbing plastic pollution. By offering discounts, this is their way of encouraging people to be more conscientious of what they consume and where the waste ends up when they’re done.

Among their biggest commitments is shifting to recyclable or reusable packaging by 2030 globally. Along the way, they will also be cutting down use of virgin plastic by 50%, as well as create smarter packaging solutions that will serve as its foundation for a circular economy.

These are efforts that P&G are exploring today. As a matter of fact, Safeguard multipacks now use 100% recycled paper cartons from previous virgin plastic overwrap packaging, which has reduced about 8,500 km of potential plastic waste. Herbal Essences shampoo bottles are now also partially made with upcycled plastic waste (about 25%). P&G has also partnered with  World Vision’s Pag-asa Sa Basura program that has turned recovered sachets into 2,000 classroom chairs that were donated to elementary schools.

Apart from addressing the plastic crisis, P&G is also taking other climate actions. Here in the Philippines, its Cabuyao plant has been reducing water consumption, recycling wastewater, and has shifted to 100% renewable electricity.

The climate and plastic crises are two sides of the same coin, and can only be solved when people work together. These programs are just the beginning for P&G, but already they’re beginning to show the rest of the world that even a multinational conglomerate as large as theirs can be committed to making the world a better place.

For more detailed information about P&G’s commitments and progress, you can visit https://us.pg.com/environmental-sustainability/. – Rappler.com