More Sustainable Choices, Greener Stores from Watsons

Planet-conscious people help preserve Mother Nature by patronizing sustainable products. Finding goods with really low carbon footprints, however, remains challenging as many consumers don’t really know what are such products and where to buy them. The best way to get authentic sustainable products is by buying these at Watsons.

The health care and beauty care chain store now offer a wider range of Sustainable Choices in more locations. These are easily spotted not only through the Watsons label but also through sections of its stores dedicated to such products.

Watsons is also making them conveniently accessible by transforming outlets into Greener Stores.

Sustainable Choices

Watsons’ Sustainable Choices include its own branded bath soap, cotton buds, handwash, shampoo, tissue paper, etc.

Watsons refill handwash and soaps are packed in material made from 79 percent less plastic and promote reuse of empty bottles. Its black cotton buds have shafts made with paper from responsibly managed forests or with recycled content.

Watsons branded shampoos contain 90 percent natural origin ingredients, including aloe vera, and is 100 percent vegan. Its container is also made from post-consumer recycled plastic.

Meanwhile, personal and household hygiene tissues are made from unbleached bamboo pulp instead of wood pulp that comes from trees, which means its production supports sustainable forestry.

All Watsons Sustainable Choices products are certified by ClimatePartner which means they have low carbon footprint or produced with low impact to the environment, relative to gas emission from extracting and processing its raw ingredients, packaging, transportation from supplier to manufacturer, delivery to customer and disposal.

The ClimatePartner certification also indicates that the manufacturer of the product implements carbon emission reduction measures throughout its operations and supports climate projects.

“Almost all Watsons stores have sustainable products because it’s our advocacy to make them accessible for our customers,” says Sharon Decapia, senior assistant vice president for marketing and sustainability of Watsons Philippines.

Sustainable Choices also include other brands as there is increasing awareness for such products.

“It is also the advocacy of Watsons to collaborate with supplier brands, guiding them into making sure that they tick off the criteria to make sure they can enroll more and more of their product offerings under Sustainable Choices,” says Decapia.

“To be considered a Sustainable Choice product is not easy. Certification is needed. The packaging and ingredients that you use must not be harmful. We make sure that they follow the standards,” according to Decapia.

Greener Stores

Watsons has relaunched four branches in Bonifacio Global City as Greener Stores. The stores in in Forbes Wood, High Street, Eco Tower and Bonifacio Tech are called as such not only because they offer a wider range of eco-friendly personal care products, but also because the places use energy-efficient appliances and lighting. The stores are covered by Energy Attribute Certificates, meaning its power comes from clean energy.

Fixtures are made from eco-friendly materials. Paper, boards and wood are responsibly sourced. Even their marketing displays are made from Solidus.

Watsons promotes “Bring Your Own Bag” to help cut down on plastic waste.

The Greener Stores also have a recycling bin where patrons can drop their empty health and beauty bottles to get reward point, discount vouchers or freebies.

“It’s our way of encouraging our customers to recycle the products,” says Decapia.

Meanwhile, Watsons staff are trained — from energy-saving tips to waste management — to help customers shop responsibly.

There are now more than 1,170 Watsons stores nationwide.

“Every week, we’re opening a lot of stores,” Decapia says.

There were 80 openings last year while in the first quarter of 2025, 15 to 20 new stores opened, the latest in Manila and Cebu.

She adds that Watsons community pharmacies are also being opened because these are near its customers.

“We also recently opened 24/7 stores. We have 10 such stores already. There’s a need for 24/7 stores as we’re also strengthening our medicine offerings. If there’s an emergency, we recognize that we need to be accessible also,” Decapia adds.

Patrons can also buy sustainable products online through the Watsons app.