Nestlé to plant 3.5 million native bamboo clumps and trees in the Philippines

 

Nestlé launched a new initiative to plant two and a half million native bamboo clumps and a million trees over the next three years in the Philippines. This reforestation effort supports Nestlé’s goal to plant 200 million trees by 2030. It also forms part of the company’s plan to scale up actions in regenerative agriculture and deploy nature-based solutions to absorb greenhouse gases and contribute to achieving Nestlé’s net-zero target by 2050.

Chris Johnson, Executive Vice President Nestlé S.A., Chief Executive Officer, Zone Asia, Oceania and sub-Saharan Africa, said: “We are facing a global climate emergency today. Forests stabilize the climate because they store significant amounts of carbon, maintain healthy water and soil systems, and provide habitat to plants and wildlife. Millions of livelihoods also depend on healthy forests. Planting trees in areas where we source our ingredients helps protect and restore food systems. It helps our supply chain and the local communities that grow our ingredients to be more resilient.”

Nestlé distributes Php 110M worth of products in 110 LGUs on its 110th year in PH

Mayor Vico Sotto personally receives the Nestlé products provided for the City of Pasig

Over the course of 110 years, Nestlé Philippines has become the Kasambuhay ng Pamilyang Pilipino, the trusted companion in life, nurturing Filipino families. Welcomed into the country’s homes for generations, the company’s products serve the nutritional needs of Filipinos throughout the day and the various stages of life, while its programs seek to make a difference in society and for the planet.

This year, on its 110th anniversary, Nestlé is distributing Php 110 million worth of its products to families in 110 cities, municipalities and provinces across the Philippines with the help of its partners. As of mid-August, products have already been delivered to the cities of Tanauan and Lipa in Batangas and Batangas province; Calamba, Cabuyao, and Sta. Rosa in Laguna province; Caloocan, Pasig, Manila, and San Juan in Metro Manila; and Tarlac City in Tarlac province.

Year one of plastic neutrality: Nestlé PH recovers 27,000 tons of waste

 

Nestlé Philippines has achieved a fresh milestone in tackling plastic waste as it completes its first year of plastic neutrality, the first multinational fast-moving consumer goods company in the country to do so.

Since August 2020, the company has collected, co-processed, and diverted from the environment over 27,000 metric tons of plastic waste, slightly above the volume of used plastic in the packaging that it has put out in the market over the past year.

The milestone comes as Nestlé Philippines marks its 110th year in the country, determined to intensify its initiatives towards a waste-free future, with a commitment to make its packaging, including plastics, 100% recyclable or reusable by 2025. Additionally, it commits to reduce a third of virgin plastic use within the same time frame. More specifically, Nestlé Philippines will reduce its use of virgin plastics by 1,100 metric tons in 2021 and is continuously looking for more sustainable packaging through its research centers globally.

Nestlé Philippines celebrated Pride Month by pursuing workplace diversity and inclusion

Upholding its pursuit of diversity and inclusion by providing equal opportunities for everyone, and building a workplace in which all people are treated with dignity and respect, Nestlé Philippines joined the LGBT+ community’s celebration of Pride Month in June with the determination to foster an even more diverse and inclusive culture within its ranks.

“Nestlé’s values are rooted in respect – for ourselves and for others, for diversity, and for the future.  Diversity and inclusion are a foundation of our strength as an organization,” said Nestlé Philippines Chairman and CEO Kais Marzouki.

Acting on its commitment to give life to diversity and inclusion, Nestlé encourages its employees to “Bring your whole self to work” through education and awareness building, while creating a work environment that cultivates respect through its programs and policies.

TESDA and Nestlé to boost coffee production skills with joint training program

Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and Nestlé Philippines today announced their partnership to upskill workers and trainers in the agriculture sector through the TESDA registered Coffee Production Level II Program and Scholarship. This progressive Robusta coffee production training program provides enterprise-based competency training in coffee farming to aspiring agripreneurs, particularly smallholder farmers and indigenous peoples.

“With this program, we will enable the farmers and our IP coffee growers to produce quality beans that are at par with the standards of Nestle Philippines. We will also be able to help them increase their yields and help them pursue a more sustainable livelihood. This partnership will scale the impact of the work we do in TESDA for the farmers and IPs. We also commit our pool of highly-skilled trainors and TESDA facilities as additional learning sites to ensure that we can accommodate as many farmer-beneficiaries as possible,” said the TESDA chief Secretary Isidro Lapeña.

Through this program, TESDA will train trainers for effective conduct of the curriculum; and provide a scholarship fund under TESDA’s Program on Accelerating Farm School Establishment (PAFSE) so that eligible farmers can enhance their knowledge and skills in planting, maintaining and harvesting coffee. Moreover, enrollees will learn to adopt an entrepreneurial approach in managing small farm operations of one to 10 hectares, and gain the skills to effectively market their coffee beans to buyers such as Nestlé. 

Nestlé Philippines supports PCX and SM Malls’ Plastic Waste Collection Initiative

 

In a virtual event held recently, Plastic Credit Exchange (PCEx) and SM Malls formally launched their Plastic Waste Collection Program in partnership with Nestlé Philippines. This program aims not only to educate the public on the benefits of plastic waste management but also give them a place where they can bring their plastic waste for proper collection and disposal.

Through the Plastic Waste Collection Program, everyone can contribute to a cleaner environment by dropping off their empty, clean, and dry plastics from 10 am to 5 pm at the blue container van located in participating SM malls such as SM Megamall and SM Mall of Asia. The plastics are properly compacted and arranged before being collected for PCEx to transport to various recycling partners.

Nestlé strengthens partnership with DepEd, sponsors modules and kits to reinforce Learning Continuity Plan

Nestlé Philippines and the Department of Education (DepEd) formalized today an agreement that will reinforce the implementation of the government’s Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan (BE-LCP) nationwide. Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones and Nestlé Philippines Chairman and CEO Kais Marzouki led the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) virtual signing ceremony, which strengthens Nestlé Philippines’ support for the DepEd through the provision of online modules and educational kits that will aid in the country’s shift to blended learning. 

“The Department of Education is committed to helping our learners to achieve their dreams, and we are thankful to Nestle Philippines in supporting our mission of delivering quality education amidst the pandemic. Their initiative to develop health and wellness within the Filipino family was good support for our learners, parents, and to our teachers,” said Secretary Briones.

WWF Continues to Fight Against Plastic Pollution, Advocates for an Extended Producer Responsibility Scheme in the Philippines

 

Snapshot from a recycling facility in Quezon City, taken during a field visit last February 2020 

Photograph © Czarina Constantino / WWF-Philippines

Plastic pollution has reached gigantic dimensions worldwide and has caused serious consequences to marine life and the wellbeing of society. In a recent study, it has been estimated that about 11 million tonnes enter the ocean every year. If no action is made, this can triple by 2040 which is equivalent to 50 kg of plastics for every coastline meter worldwide. 

The Philippines, based on a 2015 modelling study, has been considered as one of the 10 top countries contributing to plastic pollution, has been continuously challenged with increasing waste generation and the lack of a sound waste management system. This calls for a comprehensive approach among policy makers, corporations, cities, and consumers to ensure that no plastics reaches nature. 

Building on its No Plastics in Nature initiative, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines releases a report entitled “Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Scheme Assessment for Plastic Packaging Waste in the Philippines”. This report, undertaken with cyclos GmbH and AMH Philippines Inc, highlights EPR as a critical and effective policy tool in holding manufacturers accountable for the end-of-life impacts of their plastic products and packaging. EPR as a policy instrument also encourages adoption of holistic eco-design among the business sector. The proposed EPR scheme has been based on the findings of the first Material Flow Analysis of plastic packaging waste in the Philippines. 

Nestlé Makati Administrative Office Certified as a Mother-Baby Friendly Workplace

Makati City Mayor Abby Binay (second from left) officially unveils the Mother-Baby Friendly Workplace signage in the Makati Administrative Office of Nestlé Philippines. Joining her is (left to right) Nestlé Philippines’ HR Director Mitzie Antonio, Nestlé Philippines’ Chairman and CEO Kais Marzouki, and Nestlé Senior Leader Arlene Bantoto.

The Makati Administrative Office of Nestlé Philippines was recently certified as a Mother-Baby Friendly Workplace. The certification is awarded to an organization that ensures the promotion and practice of breastfeeding by providing healthy and safe working conditions for women through the establishment of a lactation station or facility. This was announced during an unveiling ceremony attended by Makati City Mayor Abby Binay at Rockwell Center, Makati City.

“Nestlé Philippines is proud to have its Makati Administrative Office certified as a Mother-Baby Friendly Workplace. We deliver on our company’s purpose to enhance quality of life and contribute to a healthier future, beginning with our very own employees. We have programs that help our employees who are working mothers find fulfilment both in the workplace and at home, and support them in their goal of raising happy, healthy children,” said Kais Marzouki, Chairman and CEO of Nestlé Philippines.