URC, Holcim strengthen waste management partnership 

URC, Holcim strengthen waste management partnership 

Leading consumer goods company Universal Robina Corp. (URC) and building solutions provider Holcim Philippines are collaborating on a pilot program to strengthen community waste management in line with their sustainability commitments. 

URC and Holcim Philippines, represented by its waste management unit Geocycle, signed a partnership on Aug. 22 for a program that supports community waste sorters for segregating plastics from litter gathered in their municipality. 

The waste materials to be collected will be either recycled or sent to Holcim Philippines’ plant in Norzagaray, Bulacan for conversion into alternative fuels and raw materials in cement manufacturing. 

The new agreement expands the three-year waste management collaboration between the two companies in which Holcim Philippines co-processes the laminated plastic wastes of URC. 

URC President and CEO Irwin Lee: “Our partnership with Holcim signifies not our only commitment to achieve plastic neutrality, but also our dedication to help preserve our environment. Through this program, we hope to heighten our participation in the collect-and-recycle activities of various communities.” 

URC believes that collaboration with organizations, private companies, institutions, communities, and local government units is essential to come up with a holistic and circular approach in providing solutions to the pressing plastic pollution issue. 

Holcim Philippines President and CEO Horia Adrian: “We are proud to support URC in this excellent initiative that engages communities against plastic pollution. We highly welcome this program and are ready to support partners as advancing recycling is key to decarbonizing our operations and reducing consumption of virgin raw materials.” 

In the first half of 2023, Holcim Philippines recycled 600,000 tons of wastes including 800,000 kilos of non-recyclable plastics as alternative resources through the co-processing operations of Geocycle.

The initiative benefits 45 local governments as well as key corporate partners with zero waste objectives. 

Holcim Philippines key role in waste management and the success of the EPR law was recognized during the launch on Aug. 4 of LOOP FORWARD: Linking Opportunities and Partnerships Towards Circular Economy through EPR, a campaign to promote the landmark law by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the United Nations Development Programme. 

Holcim Philippines is among the pioneers of co-processing, a government-approved and globally-recognized waste management technology that repurposes qualified discarded materials into alternative low-carbon fuels and raw materials in making cement. 

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About URC 

Universal Robina Corporation (URC) is one of the largest food and beverage manufacturing companies in the Philippines, and has a significant and growing presence in the ASEAN. The Gokongwei Group-owned company is engaged in an array of food-related businesses, including the production and distribution of branded consumer snack foods and beverages; commodities such as sugar and flour; and agro-industrial businesses including animal care products, and other related products. 

In line with its commitment to become a sustainable global enterprise, URC launched “Juan Goal for Plastic,” a waste management program that aims to achieve plastic neutrality through collection, recovery, and diversion of used plastics. 

 About Holcim Philippines 

Holcim Philippines, Inc. (Philippine Stock Exchange: HLCM) is one of the leading building solution companies in the country. The Company has a deep portfolio of innovative solutions fostered by a full range of products from structuring to finishing applications that can help local builders execute with high performance and efficiency a wide range of projects from massive infrastructure to simple home repairs. 

With cement manufacturing facilities in La Union, Bulacan, Batangas, Misamis Oriental and Davao, as well as aggregates and dry mix business and technical support facilities for building solutions, Holcim Philippines is a reliable partner of builders in the country. 

Holcim Philippines is also committed to the highest standards of sustainable operations and manufacturing excellence with its plants certified under ISO 14001:2015 (Environmental Management System), ISO 9001:2015 (Quality Management System) and OHSAS 45001:2018 (Occupational Health and Safety Management System). 

Holcim Philippines is a member of the Holcim Group, the world leader in the building materials industry. 

About Holcim 

Holcim is a global leader in innovative and sustainable building solutions. Driven by its purpose to build progress for people and the planet, its 60,000 employees are on a mission to decarbonize building, while improving living standards for all. The company empowers its customers across all regions to build better with less, with its broad range of low-carbon and circular solutions, from ECOPact to ECOPlanet. With its innovative systems, from Elevate’s roofing to PRB’s insulation, Holcim makes buildings more sustainable in use, driving energy efficiency and green retrofitting. With sustainability at the core of its strategy, Holcim is becoming a net-zero company with 1.5°C targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).