SM Hotels and Conventions Corp. (SMHCC), the hotel operator of the SM group, has rolled out a new technology called ORCA (Organic Refuse Conversion Alternative) Biodigester which can turn food waste into filtered wastewater under 24 hours.
SM Investments Corporation said this is aligned with the group’s commitment to reduce waste and is in addition to the use of composting kits in all of its hotels nationwide.
Since the installation of the first ORCA in Taal Vista, it has managed to divert over 40,013 kilograms of food waste to date equivalent to 20,406.63 tons of carbon dioxide emissions saved.
The filtered wastewater is used by the hotel or non-potable processes such as landscaping—specifically for watering its vegetable gardens.
“With the adoption of the ORCA Biodigester, we have transformed our food waste management process from a weeks-long process to a streamlined green-friendly one-day cycle, significantly enhancing operational efficiency and our environmental impact,” said SMHCC Vice President for Quality and Sustainability Leah Magallanes.
Food waste poses challenges across the globe. In a recent report by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), 783 million people are affected by hunger each year. In the Philippines, household food waste amounted to 2,954,580 million tons annually.
The hotel industry often faces significant waste issues due to the challenge of managing inventory and excess food, particularly with the large number of customers served daily.
Aside from the biodigester at the Taal Vista Hotel, the group also employs other responsible food waste reduction initiatives, such as bokashi composting, across the SM Hotels portfolio.
Bokashi composting involves using specialized kits where food waste is layered with activators, or biological additives to produce compost, which allows it to ferment for 10 to 15 days.
The resulting liquid can be collected as natural fertilizer, while the solid residue can be composted or buried.
Since its introduction across five properties of SM Hotels, namely Taal Vista Hotel, Pico Sands Hotel, Park Inn Bacolod and Iloilo, and SMX Manila, the bokashi composting technique has made a total diversion of food waste of over 198,640 kg, equivalent to 101,306.4 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent or CO2E.
“Our combined efforts support our gardens and foster community-driven, eco-friendly practices through partnerships with local farmers and producers,” Magallanes added.
The reduction in total processing time for food waste has also positively impacted employee engagement and led to changes in their roles and responsibilities.
With biodigesters generating more accurate data, designated employees are more focused toward managing and monitoring rather than manually weighing and computing waste metrics.
By adopting more responsible ways to divert food waste on site, it minimizes the amount of waste that needs to be stored and transported. It further leads to the prevention of pest harbourage contributing to a more hygienic and safer environment for guests.