Smart solid waste management initiative gets recognition

MANILA, Philippines - The tarpaulin recycling program of leading wireless services provider Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) was recognized recently as one of the best solid waste management practices by Philippine companies.

The telco’s solid waste management initiative called Post-Marketing Waste Management Program was included in the book ‘Zero Basura Olympics: A Race to Conquer Garbage”, after being named one of the winners in the Zero Basura Olympics (ZBO) for Business.  The ZBO for Business is a competition launched to recognize local companies with the most innovative practices in minimizing and eliminating waste.

“This book is full of great ideas not just from Smart but also from other awardees, and I believe they are one with Smart in thinking that these are ideas we don’t mind being copied by the other companies,” said Darwin Flores, Smart’s Senior Manager for Community Partnerships. ‘In fact, we hope initiatives such as these get replicated by more businesses and industries,” he added.

Under this program, Smart recycles tarpaulin materials previously used for advertising and publicity purposes nationwide. It tapped the communities in its adopted Gawad Kalinga villages and trained the members to craft the would-have-been non-biodegradable waste into well-made and designed usable tarp bags.

The production of these tarp bags has provided income to Smart’s Gawad Kalinga communities, while reducing generated waste, promoting environmental awareness and helping the company save resources by reducing inventory cost.

“Smart is contributing toward a greener economy and community through the recycled tarpaulins,” said Flores. “We are glad to be part of the ZBO book along with the other earth-friendly companies, and I’m sure we can also learn from their respective solid waste management initiatives,” he added.

ZBO for Business and its book spin-off are projects of the Philippine Business for Social Progress in partnership with the Earth Day Network, Philippine Business for the Environment (PBE), Pollution Control Association of the Philippines, Inc. (PCAPI), and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).