How often have we seen photos in our social media feeds of turtles, birds, and other animals that have ingested inordinate amounts of plastic, and we wondered what we could do to help alleviate the dismal situation? In our individual lives, it may seem there may not be much we can do about pollution around the globe; but that doesn’t mean we should just shrug our shoulders and wish for a better world. It is in our hands to make a difference, no matter how small. We can be thankful that corporate entities like SM Prime, and their #SMGreenMovement, is helping show the way.

　　SM Cares, under the #SMGreenMovement umbrella, has embarked on a Plastic Waste Collection Program that seeks to reduce land and water pollution through the collection of different types of plastic. To date, this program has helped divert almost 20,000kg of post-consumer plastics, equivalent to 32,330kg of carbon dioxide (CO2)， from landfills, oceans and rivers.

　　Every day from 10am to 5pm at the following SM Supermalls - Megamall, Mall of Asia, North EDSA, Fairview, Southmall, Marilao, Marikina, East Ortigas, Cebu, Davao, Pampanga, and Telabastagan, you’ll find a large van that serves as a collection area at the perimeter of the mall. They will accept your clean, empty, and dry plastic waste.

　　What falls under the categories of collectible plastic waste? Your PET and HDPE bottles, shampoo, soap and detergent bottles, your sachets, snack packs and other packaging, plastic bags, e-commerce pouches, bubble wrap, and your single-use plastic or Styrofoam cups, lids, straws, and utensils.

　　Now that pretty much covers a lot of touch points that plastics make in our everyday lives. It’s SM Prime taking the lead in making their SM Sustainable Development Goals something that we can easily access and contribute to as partners, and responsible members of the community.

　　These collected post-consumer plastics are hauled and valorized by Friends of Hope – a partner of the SM Plastic Waste Collection program. Some of these aggregated plastics are also sent out to be co-processed as material for PET bottles, cement, plastic benches, and many more.

　　You may visit www.smsupermalls.com/smcares/ for more information. Here, SM Prime and the #SMGreenMovement provide a ready answer for how any of us can start taking steps to be sustainable and help reduce plastics in our own lives.