Fiber internet provider Converge ICT Solutions Inc. has started deploying collection boxes for electronic waste in three business centers in Pampanga after launching #CountdownToZeroWaste campaign in its hometown, Angeles City.
Converge aims to fulfill its sustainability commitment to have zero output to landfill by 2030 by asking employees, customers and other stakeholders to donate their unused or broken gadgets, small appliances and other electrical wastes.
Through partnerships with government-accredited waste recycling companies, the donated e-wastes are hauled, processed and recycled into new materials, such as bricks and chairs, in accordance with Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) standards.
The zero waste campaign is two-pronged and seeks to expand Converge's corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs as well, according to Converge Head of Workplace, Premises and Fleet Management, Solomon Joya.
“Proceeds from the zero-waste campaign will be reverted back to our CSR programs to help communities where we operate,” he confirmed.
“This is the continuation of the program we launched in November 2022. Now we’re launching it here in Pampanga. There are a lot of ways we have to think about committing to zero waste and one of these streams is e-waste," said Joya. "As an ISP, we really have a lot of e-waste. We have at least 64,000 kilos worth of cables and we have computers in Clark too, which a third party service provider is buying," he added.
Furthermore, Converge is recycling old tarpaulins used for marketing and other corporate events into sustainable tote bags through a partnership with women-led social enterprise Kreations PH.
Last November, Converge piloted its e-waste campaign in its Metro Manila headquarters in Pasig City.
The e-waste drop boxes will initially be deployed at Converge business centers in Dau, Mabalacat, and Clark in Pampanga.
More e-waste boxes are expected to be rolled out within the year with its next leg to be held in Nueva Ecija next month.
Converge has committed to achieve zero waste to landfill output by 2030 and aligns its goals with the Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) target of increasing the global e-waste recycling rate by 30 percent starting this year.