- EDD K. USMAN | Twitter: @edd1819 | Instagram: @bluestar0910 |Facebook: SDN — SciTech and Digital News
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SM MEGAMALL, Mandaluyong City (SDN) — Plastic pollution is an overwhelming problem the world, including the Philippines, is facing. There seems to be no solution to completely eradicate plastic use.
To this objective, apparently, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the SM Investment Corporation (SMIC) have entered into a partnership for the two-day Tactics for Better PlasTIK (Technology, Innovation and Knowledge), An Expo & Forum by DOST and SMIC being held here along ever-busy Epifanio de Los Santos Avenue (EDSA).
VIPs at the event are led by DOST Secretary Dr. Renato U. Solidum, Jr. and SMIC Head of Sustainability Timothy Daniels.
The United States International Agency for Development (USAID) sent a representative, Director Amy Lovely, Office of Economic Development and Governance, and of course, Dr. Enrico “Eric” C. Paringit, executive director, of DOST’s Philippine Council on Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD).
The SMIC official, also SM Investments consultant, highlighted the partnership, which supports the company’s goals on sustainability.
“Being a responsible company is important to SM and plastics are a real sustainability issue for the country. We are keen to work with our many stakeholders to reduce plastics use in the Philippines. We always look for practical solutions. This collaboration with DOST will enhance our collective waste management efforts and also foster knowledge sharing and sustainable partnerships across sectors to achieve that,” Daniels says.
At the same time, the SM official noted that the Philippines is one of the world’s biggest plastics polluters in the world.
In response, the Philippines’ science head expressed thanks to SMIC for the collaboration.
“We thank SM for this partnership and we are optimistic that through this collaboration we can provide solutions and open opportunities for industry players and for our citizens,” Solidum says.
Paringit expressed hope DOST’s green technologies will be recognized by Filipinos.
“We hope that our green technologies will make its way to the hearts and minds of our citizens this expo and forum,” the PCIEERD head remarks.
The DOST noted the significance of the two partners’ collaboration, hoping it makes a dent in the Philippines’ more sustainable future.
DOST Assistant Secretary for Development Cooperation Rodolfo Calzado welcomed the event’s participants which filled to the bream the venue here.
He said the expo and forum is a vehicle for a “trailblazing” innovation and technology in the plastic industry even as he gave chilling numbers on the proliferation of plastic sachets’ used in the country.
Calzado pointed out that some 591 pieces of sachets, 184 shopping bags, 176 plastic “labo” bags, or 164 million used sachets in a week, or a total of 59 billion sachets used annually in the Philippines.
On the other hand, he assures that DOST “will continue to support our partners in technology innovation.”
In his speech at the event, Solidum, who has 40 years of experience in public service, discussed the “Circular Economy: Driving Wealth Creation and Sustainability through Science, Technology and Innovation”.
Well-known Filipino geologist, having led DOST’s Philippine Institute for Seismology and Volcanology (PHIVOLCS), the DOST chief acknowledged that plastics is a big part of life of Filipinos.
“Be genuine, don’t be plastic”
He pointed out that there are 315 million tons of plastic wastes annually, of which one quarter “is mismanaged,” stored in landfills and become pollution.
Solidum said the core principles of a “circular economy” embraces the elimination of waste and pollution, among others.
He also noted the circular economy provides economic opportunities of around US$117 billion that could generate thousands of jobs, adding through science, innovation and technology (STI) the circular economy brings potentials of resource efficiency and minimizing waste, development of sustainable products, among others.
The country’s science supremo cited the DOST’s investments in research of technologies funded with from Php2.5 to Php3 billion.
He cited the science department’s Science, Technology and Innovation for Circular Economy (STI4CE) Framework whose vision, goals, enablers/drivers, outcomes lead towards sectoral coverage for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Solidum acknowledged the DOST can’t do it alone, thus support, collaboration and working together with partners from the businesses, industries, academe and civil society.
“We also call on industry to collaborate with us. We can create the future we all want. Be genuine. Don’t be plastic,” he sounds out.
On the part of the SM group, particularly it’s retail and mall teams, has been initiating steps aimed at reducing the use of plastic as it recognizes that plastic waste’s key contributors count among them bags and retail outlets, product packaging, including plastic water bottles and food packaging.
The company has also been implementing its RDC (Recyclable, Disposable and Compostable) standardized waste segregation policy which is a mall-wide campaign dubbed Waste-Free Future.
Through SM Prime Holding, SM has also entered into a partnership with GUUN, a Japanese company, to develop infrastructure for systematic waste management and resource recovery.
PCIEERD, DOST’s Innovation Council, focuses on four priority areas, energy, industry, emerging technologies, and special concerns. It’s one of the DOST’s three sectoral planning councils. (✓)