MANILA, Philippines – PLDT and its wireless unit Smart Communications are further integrating recycling and responsible waste management into their culture as for the second year in a row, the two have joined the X-Trash Challenge organized by the Philippine Business for Social Progress ( PBSP) which runs until September 16, 2022.
The initiative encourages PLDT and Smart employees to exchange recyclable plastic, paper and metal for Environmental Points (EP) which can purchase food packs for beneficiaries.
This year, PLDT Group will donate EP to Solidarity with Orphans and Widows, a community rehabilitation program for families in the depressed community of Payatas who are victims of violence and have experienced deep trauma, and Childhope Philippines Foundation, a non-profit organization that promotes the welfare, defends and protects the rights of children, especially street children.
“We recognize that waste is a growing problem in the country. We need to step up efforts in recycling and responsible waste management. By supporting PBSP’s X-Trash Challenge, the PLDT Group joins other like-minded organizations to tackle the problem of waste and provide an opportunity to improve lives in adopted communities. It also aligns with our efforts to further embed sustainability into our corporate culture and inspire employees to help build sustainable communities,” said Melissa Vergel de Dios, PLDT’s Director of Sustainability and Head of Corporate Relations. Investors.
Eligible plastics include PET bottles, detergent containers, PVC pipes and tarps, single-use plastics and cutlery.
Newsprint, paper plates, receipts, old office papers, cardboard boxes and beverage cartons are also accepted.
Discarded metals like steel beams, pots, roofs, crown caps, as well as aerosols, food and aluminum cans also deserve EPs.
In 2021, despite limited mobility, the group’s employees propelled Smart to second runner-up and PLDT to third runner-up.
Supported by PLDT’s Board of Directors led by Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan, Chairman and CEO Alfredo Panlilio has identified sustainability as one of the drivers of PLDT Group’s strategy, as reflected in his decarbonization road that aims to reduce its Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by around 40% by 2030.
Responsible waste management is aligned with the guidance of the Planet Pillar of the local chapter of the United Nations Global Compact, Global Compact Network Philippines, of which PLDT Group is a member. This initiative is part of the Group’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, and SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production.