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Manila Bulletin devider Environment and Sustainability devider Landmark success in the nationwide fight against plastic waste

Landmark success in the nationwide fight against plastic waste

Published Mar 5, 2026 03:43 pm
Nestlé Philippines receives the EPR Partners Leadership Award at the 2026 EPR Recognition Program. Accepting the award for the company are Meg Santos, Head of Sustainability, and Miggo Bautista, Sustainability Manager. [L-R: Atty. Jonas Leones, Undersecretary for policy, planning, and international affairs; Raphael Lotilla, Former Secretary, DENR; Meg Santos, Head of Sustainability, Nestlé PH; Miggo Bautista, Sustainability Manager, Nestlé PH; Jess Reyes, President, PARMS; Asec. Jacqueline Caancan, Assistant Secretary and EMB Director, DENR]
Nestlé Philippines receives the EPR Partners Leadership Award at the 2026 EPR Recognition Program. Accepting the award for the company are Meg Santos, Head of Sustainability, and Miggo Bautista, Sustainability Manager. [L-R: Atty. Jonas Leones, Undersecretary for policy, planning, and international affairs; Raphael Lotilla, Former Secretary, DENR; Meg Santos, Head of Sustainability, Nestlé PH; Miggo Bautista, Sustainability Manager, Nestlé PH; Jess Reyes, President, PARMS; Asec. Jacqueline Caancan, Assistant Secretary and EMB Director, DENR]
The passage of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Act in 2022 was a landmark step in the government’s push to shape the policy landscape for a circular economy. And in ensuring its effective implementation, cooperation and support from the private sector is crucial.
Nestlé Philippines, a long-time proponent and one of the earliest adopters of EPR in the country, understands the importance of collective action and advocating for plastic circularity and EPR. Its contributions to shaping EPR strategies, collaborating with industry stakeholders, recovering plastics equivalent to 100% of its packaging volume, and advancing solid waste management education were recognized at the 2026 EPR Recognition Program held on January 30, 2026.
Nestlé Philippines is the only organization that received two awards, including the special citation for obliged enterprises and the EPR Partners Leadership Award for going beyond compliance to EPR and its pivotal initiative with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the National Plastic Action Partnership (NPAP) that led to the formation of a working group focused on flexible plastic recycling. Called the NPAP Flexible Plastic Recycling Working Group (FRWG), it aims to unlock opportunities for investments and operationalize recycling technology and infrastructure for flexible plastics in the country by bringing together leaders, policy makers, and representatives across sectors.
“This recognition is a testament to Nestlé Philippines’ commitment to supporting EPR in the country and also highlights the value of working together to shape a waste-free future,” said Mauricio Alarcon, Chairman and CEO of Nestlé Philippines. “Helping enhance recycling and waste management systems, including EPR, is a major factor in advancing towards a circular economy. This is where our goal within the NPAP FRWG aligns: to attract investments in and advocate for advanced recycling of post-consumer flexible plastics to divert flexible plastic waste back into the loop.”
The NPAP FRWG was formed from previous collaborations between the DENR and Nestlé Philippines, starting with the roll-out of a nationwide roundtable discussion called Rethinking Plastics: EPR Paving the Way Towards Circularity in 2023, which helped increase the number of obliged enterprises registered under EPR. This was followed by the establishment of the Philippine National Recycling Conference in February 2024, which united leaders in recycling and waste management to address concerns about the capacity of waste management in the country and emphasize the need for systems for recycling and circularity.
From these events, Nestlé Philippines was able to co-write two extensive reports with DENR that highlight barriers and key recommendations on EPR for obliged enterprises, waste diverters, and local government units, and enhance compliance and implementation through recycling for circularity, respectively.
On top of actively advocating for EPR and plastic circularity, Nestlé Philippines is embracing its role as a leader in sustainability by transforming its operations to reduce carbon emissions, expanding waste recovery and collection programs, and engaging employees and consumers to be part of the collective movement to address climate change and its impacts.
The EPR Recognition Program: Celebrating Achievements and Milestones was led by the DENR together with the Philippine Alliance for Recycling Materials Sustainability, and in coordination with the National Ecology Center.
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