Century Pacific Food Inc. (CNPF), one of the leading branded food and beverage manufacturing companies in the Philippines, has taken another step toward achieving cleaner seas with the launch of its new Saving Our Seas Campaign.
Established in 1986, Century Tuna, the country’s leading canned tuna brand, aims to lead in promoting the circular economy and biodiversity in partnership with impact organization HOPE through its “Aling Tindera Waste-to-Cash” program.
Carlo Endaya, CNPF’s vice president and general manager for Century Tuna, said, “The Philippines is among the top contributors of plastic waste in the world, posing a threat to communities and marine life.”
Endaya added: “Conversely, this presents an opportunity to unlock value in plastic waste and prevent it from leaking into nature by incentivizing critical movers in the cycle and creating a circular economy—a win-win scenario for both people and the planet.”
In the campaign, Century Tuna’s initiative kicked off in Mabini, Batangas, globally renowned for its lush marine life and biodiversity and a haven for scuba drivers.
A total of 212 volunteers, including Century Tuna Ambassador Alden Richards and the Century Tuna Superbods, collected 805 kilograms of trash, among the largest volumes collected in the area.
To encourage the residents to get involved, multiple plastic waste collection points were installed within the coastal areas, where community members can sell plastic trash in exchange for cash.
The drop off points are managed by community’s sari-sari (variety) store owners from HOPE’s Aling Tindera Program.
The women micro-entrepreneurs collect the plastic waste and have them properly recycled and upcycled back into the circular economy.
There are currently more than 100 Aling Tindera sites in the country.
Plastic waste accumulated from Aling Tindera sites is then sold to the Plastic Credit Exchange (PCX), generating income for the women.
PCX is a global plastic solutions platform and credit exchange with an ecosystem of partner companies, who can process, recycle and upcycle post-consumer plastic waste into useful materials or energy.
Furthermore, PCX converts recycled/upcycled plastic waste into plastic credit, creating an offsetting mechanism for companies who want to reduce their plastic waste footprint and commit to Net Zero Plastic Waste.
“The Saving Our Seas Campaign goes beyond beach cleanups,” Endaya explained.
It is a proactive approach to sustainability and in securing future food supply by creating systemic change through partnerships and community engagement, he said.
“We believe this is relevant and necessary, especially in light of the EPR [Extended Producer Responsibility] law,” he added.
The EPR Act of 2022 required companies to establish programs that would reduce their production, importation, supply, or use of plastic products, such as reduction initiatives, recycling, and offsetting platforms.
Century Tuna further aims to extend its reach nationwide, emphasizing the importance of plastic pollution prevention at home.
Endaya pointed out the need for every Filipino to participate in the campaign, regardless of their proximity to coastal areas, saying that “plastic pollution prevention starts within our homes.”
“We encourage responsible plastic waste management and promote the use of recovery facilities, such as the Aling Tindera sites, which are conveniently located nationwide. This is a message we want to convey to the public.”
With these programs, CNPF affirms its commitment to reducing its plastic waste footprint.
The company has a 3P sustainability strategy—Protein Delivery, Planet Preservation and People Development.
Under the environmental pillar, the company made a commitment to achieve Net Zero Plastic footprint in 2019.
As of 2022, all its brands that utilize flexible plastic packaging have been certified as Net Zero Plastic Waste brands by PriceWaterhouseCoopers through a partnership with PCX.
“Embracing more responsible and sustainable business practices is front and center at Century. We strive to operate in a way where progress, growth and sustainability are inextricably linked. Doing so hopefully secures our longevity as a food company, enabling us to provide affordable nutrition to Filipino families for many more years and beyond,” Endaya said.
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