Environment and Sustainability
On river cleanup drives, bottle retrieval program, and plastic reduction efforts
On river cleanup drives, bottle retrieval program, and plastic reduction efforts
By Mat Richter
Ginebra San Miguel Inc. (GSMI) remains dedicated to its sustainability commitment through various eco-initiatives.
GSMI announced starting June 2024, its leading Chinese wine brand Vino Kulafu will use a smaller plastic cap seal that’s said to be 0.22 grams lighter than the previous packaging.
The effort marks the start of the company's projects to lessen plastic use across its product line. In the next months, other GSMI brands, including flagship Ginebra San Miguel, will also adopt the new seal.
According to GSMI Sustainability Manager Manny Guimbal, finding sustainable solutions without compromising quality is one of the company's top priorities.
"We are deeply committed to integrating sustainability throughout our operations, and our decision to implement the smaller and lighter seal of Vino Kulafu is a testament to this commitment," Guimbal said.
Boteful Philippines
GSMI's nationwide bottle retrieval program, Boteful Philippines, engages employees, bottle washers, and retrieval partners to collect used glass bottles from households and sari-sari stores.
Sorted by type and size, bottles that meet quality standards stay in circulation for extended use which, in turn, helps achieve a circular economy and prevent solid waste accumulation.
In Batanes, the program collected 20,000 clean used bottles in a week, with people exchanging them for sacks of locally sourced rice in Basco, Mahatao, Ivana, and Uyugan municipalities.
"GSMI's nationwide bottle retrieval system is our version of circular economy, which is based on the reuse of materials. To truly make an environmental impact, bottle retrieval must keep pace with our growing sales and requires the collaborative efforts of everyone involved, including the communities where we operate,” said GSMI National Logistics Manager Lewisito Leonillo.
River cleanup drive
In February 2023, Ginebra hit the one million metric ton mark in helping clean up the Pasig River. The company has also initiated cleanup drives to aid in alleviating the recurring flooding issues along the Meycauayan River in Bulacan.
In August 2022, San Miguel Corporation, in partnership with DENR, finished the 27-month Tullahan River cleanup, removing over 1.2 million metric tons of silt and solid waste from the river's 11-kilometer stretch, which spans four major cities.