Rizal: Plastic wastes will find new purpose as fuel for the cement manufacturing process under the partnership of fast food chain McDonald's Philippines and ecoloop, the resource recovery arm of Republic Cement. McDonald's took its long-standing commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship one step farther -- plastic wastes generated at its stores will be delivered to Republic Cement and converted into alternative fuel.
According to Philippines News Agency, Angela Valencia, director of ecoloop-Republic Cement, stated in a news release, "At ecoloop, we believe sustainability is achieved through collaboration. Our partnership with McDonald's Philippines demonstrates how shared responsibility can turn plastic waste into valuable resources and drive meaningful progress toward a circular economy." The signing of the partnership, sealed at Republic Cement's plant in Teresa, Rizal, was attended by McDonald's Restaurant Equipment Management Group director Jacinto Divinagracia, Valencia, and Teresa Plant manager Jimmy Torres.
Prior to the contract signing, McDonald's Philippines also joined Republic Cement in a special program for students at Teresa Elementary School, which featured a talk on environmental protection and sustainability. A highlight of the school activity was the turnover of 50 chairs from McDonald's award-winning ReClassified program. Under ReClassified, decommissioned store furniture is spruced up and repurposed as colorful and well-designed classroom chairs and tables. The school also turned over collected plastic waste to Republic Cement and McDonald's for co-processing.
Jacinto Divinagracia emphasized, "Environmental stewardship and sustainability are an important part of McDonald's operations in the Philippines. Across our 850-plus stores, we introduce and sustain innovations and practices that reduce our impact on the planet. Our partnership with ecoloop is a welcome addition to our continuing efforts to integrate environmental protection into the way we run our business."
The partnership with Republic Cement is part of the company's ongoing environmental initiatives, in support of Republic Act 11898, or the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Act of 2022. Under the EPR law, big companies that generate plastic packaging waste must play an important role in efficient waste management. Waste management efforts should focus on "waste reduction, recovery and recycling, and the development of environment-friendly products that advocate the internationally accepted principles on sustainable consumption and production, circular economy, and producers' full responsibility throughout the life cycle of their product."
McDonald's Philippines implements environmentally responsible practices under its Green and Good program, which seeks sustainable and alternative solutions to the way it operates and serves customers. Green and Good stores have green building features, such as eco-pavers and light-gauge steel frames partially made with recycled steel; utility-efficient solutions for its operations, such as solar rooftops, rainwater harvesting tanks, and solar lampposts; and promote active mobility among its customers. McDonald's stores nationwide have been working towards reducing the amount of plastic waste that they generate by switching to sustainable packaging. A good number of stores are also now using washable and reusable utensils for dine-in customers, thus reducing the reliance on single-use plastic spoons and forks.
