Present at the signing were ecoloop Managing Director Atty. Angela Edralin-Valencia (left) and McDonald’s Director for Restaurant Equipment Management Group Jacinto Divinagracia.
Manila — McDonald’s Philippines took its long-standing commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship one step further by entering into a waste management partnership with ecoloop, the resource recovery arm of Republic Cement.
Under this partnership, plastic wastes generated in McDonald’s stores are delivered to Republic Cement and converted into alternative fuel. As a result, plastic wastes find new purpose as fuel for the cement manufacturing process, instead of ending up in sanitary landfills.
“At ecoloop, we believe sustainability is achieved through collaboration. Our partnership with McDonald’s Philippines demonstrates how shared responsibility can turn plastic waste into valuable resources and drive meaningful progress toward a circular economy,” said Angela Edralin-Valencia, Director of ecoloop, Republic Cement.
The partnership between McDonald’s Philippines and Republic Cement was sealed with the signing of an agreement earlier this year in their plant in Teresa, Rizal. Present at the signing were McDonald’s Director for Restaurant Equipment Management Group Jacinto Divinagracia, ecoloop Managing Director Atty. Angela Edralin, and Teresa Plant Manager Jimmy Torres.
Prior to the contract signing, the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) giant also joined Republic Cement in a special program for students at Teresa Elementary School, which featured a talk on environmental protection and sustainability. A highlight of the school activity was the turnover of 50 chairs from McDonald’s award-winning ReClassified program. Under ReClassified, decommissioned store furniture is spruced up and repurposed, for use as colorful and well-designed classroom chairs and tables. The school also turned over collected plastic waste to Republic Cement and McDonald’s for co-processing.
“Environmental stewardship and sustainability are an important part of McDonald’s operations in the Philippines,” said Divinagracia. “Across our 850-plus stores, we introduce and sustain innovations and practices that reduce our impact on the planet. Our partnership with ecoloop is a welcome addition to our continuing efforts to integrate environmental protection into the way we run our business.”
The partnership with Republic Cement is part of the company’s ongoing environmental initiatives, in support of Republic Act 11898, or the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Act of 2022. Under the EPR Law, big companies that generate plastic packaging waste play an important role in efficient waste management. The law states that waste management efforts should focus on “waste reduction, recovery and recycling, and the development of environment-friendly products that advocate the internationally accepted principles on sustainable consumption and production, circular economy, and producers’ full responsibility throughout the life cycle of their product.”
McDonald’s Philippines implements environmentally responsible practices under its Green & Good program, which seeks sustainable and alternative solutions to the way it operates and serves customers. McDonald’s Green & Good stores have green building features, such as eco-pavers and light-gauge steel frames partially made with recycled steel; utility-efficient solutions for its operations, such as solar rooftops, rainwater harvesting tanks, and solar lampposts; and promote active mobility among its customers.
McDonald’s stores nationwide have been working towards reducing the amount of plastic waste that they generate by switching to sustainable packaging. A good number of stores are also now using washable and reusable utensils for dine-in customers, thus reducing the reliance on single-use plastic spoons and forks.
