In celebration of the Philippine Environment Month this June, Globe reaffirms its commitment to addressing plastic pollution and encourages stakeholders to contribute to a circular economy through resource efficiency, waste reduction, and product stewardship.
Aligning its sustainability commitment to circularity to the theme of this year’s celebration, #BeatPlasticPollution, the digital solutions platform is rallying its employees, partners, and customers to promote circularity in its products and operations.
According to the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), ‘circular economy’ is defined as creating an ecosystem that uses resources more efficiently by ensuring that resources, products, and services are used for as long as possible.
Globe Group Chief Sustainability and Corporate Communications Officer Yoly Crisanto asserts, “When it comes to sustainability, we understand that our efforts must go beyond our corporate boundaries. Working together with our partners, employees and suppliers is integral in creating sustainable business models.”
Established in 1988 by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 237, the Philippine Environment Month provides a platform for environmental action and awareness. Aligned with the theme of the United Nations (UN) World Environment Day observed every June 5, this year’s focus is on the problem of plastic pollution, which poses significant threats to the environment, health, and economy.
In support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, along with the new Philippine Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Act of 2022 implemented by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Globe has taken early action in waste reduction, recovery, and diversion.
It has partnered with recyclers for its events and marketing collateral, implemented internal plastic waste management programs, and embedded circularity in some of its products, among others.
The company’s broadband business, Globe At Home, recently launched a recyclable and upcyclable packaging design for its newest Fiber product, GFiber Prepaid. Its introduction to the market is the product of strong collaboration between Globe and its vendor partners. Together, they worked to highlight the following features:
- Extending product packaging lifespan
- The packaging can be reused as a box or repurposed into a laptop stand, thereby extending its usability.
- Adherence to global industry standards
- Nearly all materials are responsibly sourced, with necessary Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certifications.
- Minimizing plastic waste and print materials
- The box does away with plastic pouches and the printed instructional manual to further reduce the waste that could potentially end up in landfills.
Globe At Home aims to shift 100% of its modem packaging to recyclable materials by the end of the year.
“We constantly push boundaries to discover innovative ways that can help diminish our environmental impact. Embedding circularity in our operations is one of the ways through which we achieve this goal. The Philippine Environment Month gives us the chance to shine a brighter spotlight on this commitment and invite greater community involvement,” Crisanto pointed out.
Beyond its business operations, Globe is also a participant of the UN Global Compact, through the Global Compact Network Philippines (GCNP), and co-leads the Planet Pillar under the GCNP’s Private Sector Champions (PSC) initiative. Focusing on plastic waste circularity, the GCNP Planet Pillar has partnered with Basic Environmental Systems and Technologies, Inc. (BEST), a company known for environmentally-sound waste management, to implement a community-level pilot program dubbed “Iwas Kalat, Dagdag Kita” in Barangay Escopa, Quezon City. The program was launched on May 15 this year.
