Watsons does good with first Philippine Greener Store

MANILA, Philippines — The very first Greener Store of Watsons Philippines, which opened in San Pedro, Laguna, on June 21, is true to its mantra of "Look Good, Do Good, Feel Great.”

The opening marks a positive shift toward sustainable practices in the global retail industry. Watsons, as a leading health and beauty source, is at the forefront in efforts to minimize waste and empower customers to make eco-conscious choices for a healthier planet.

“We proudly inaugurate the first Greener Store in San Pedro, Laguna, this store sets a new standard in sustainable retailing, embodying our dedication to fostering a vibrant culture of sustainability in every facet of our operations. By empowering our customers to embrace sustainable products and practices, we aim to make a meaningful impact on our planet," said Jin Jimenez, director for store operations.

At the store opening, Jimenez was joined by representatives for Ramil Hernandez, governor of the Province of Laguna, and Mayor Art Francis Mercado of San Pedro, Laguna.

Also a significant presence was Alisandrea Coloma, the senior manager for sustainability, who offered insightful information about the first Greener Store:

“There are a few things why it's called a Greener Store. Number 1, this store is actually already solar-paneled. So it's running on solar power. Not the entire thing but partially already running with solar panels. Solar-powered through solar panels. You don't see it, but it's up there.

“And then another thing, of course, as you're seeing now, there's a big Sustainable Choices area. So this is bigger than your usual area of Sustainable Choices versus if you go to our other stores, and this is because we really want for customers to come in and say, There are options for more sustainable items and goods. So pagpasok nila, that's the first thing they see.

“And then the third one, there's a Recycle for Rewards area. So we've been seeing that this is something that we want. So now there's a bin here in the Greener Store, where customers can come in, bring in their empty health and beauty bottles, and then, in return, they get their reward. So they just leave the bottles there.”

Sustainable, renewable, energy-efficient

“And then apart from that, you're gonna notice all of the collaterals in-store are already made from more eco-friendly materials. So, we no longer use Sintra. We use this material called Solidus, which does not have PVC or plastic. So we are really making sure that we have less or no plastic anymore in the materials that we're using, at least for the printed items you see. And then the crates are also wooden.  

“Apart from that though, we're also trying to integrate our other initiatives under sustainability. So under the People Pillar, you may be familiar, we also have a People Pillar under sustainability. We also have the can in the cashier so that we can give donations for Give A Smile Program, which is our program where we help give free surgeries for children with lip and cleft palate conditions. So we partner up with Operation Smile Clinic.

“So then all the lights you're seeing, the air conditioners, the chillers, are already more eco-friendly because they're LED and they're Inverter technology. So these are just some of the things that we're really trying to do to give a greener experience for our customers.

“This is something that we want to roll out even more in other stores to give the experience and bring it closer to our shoppers.

“So for this concept right now, right now, this is the first one that we have. The coming months we're still planning.” .  

Laguna is green

“[Laguna] is actually known for their commitment to sustainability. They're known to be a green [province]. Even before we started building this store, they already have very strong sustainability and trash disposal programs.

“They've also been recognized as a green city. o,  we wanted to kind of be in a place that has a sustainability commitment so that we can contribute to their commitments as well.

“As an establishment in the area, of course we comply with the LGU’a sustainability commitments. But we also did a certification with this group called Pi Energy where they check the store to make sure that everything is being sustainable when it comes to electricity consumption, solar power, etc.”

Refilling Stations

“We have refilling stations here as well. This is the fourth one, the first one outside of Manila. So we feature Naturals by Watsons. This is our main brand here. So you'll be able to come in, bring your old Naturals by Watsons bottles, and then refill, or you can use the bottles here as well.

“We also have bottles. But apart from that, we offer also a selection of refill packs that our customers can take.

“Naturals by Watsons is a brand that we've been carrying for a long time already. So this is just one of the brands that we carry under Sustainable Choices.

“So you can be sure that the bottles used are already made from recycled plastic and, of course, the ingredients used for each of the product lines are sustainable.

“The expectation is the old bottle that shoppers will bring is the Natural by Watsons bottles. Same product and the same variant, and they have to be clean and dry. That's important so that we avoid cross-contamination.”