Segregation manual ramps up SM Waste-Free Future drive

Leading integrated property developer SM Prime Holdings Inc. is ramping up its Waste-Free Future campaign by rolling out a manual for trash segregation and RDC (recyclable, disposable and compostable) bins.

The SM Waste-Free Future Manual — launched at the Sustainability Expo (SUSTEX 2025) last 29 to 30 August at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City — invites everyone to become part of the solution to the national waste crisis driven by urbanization and poor waste disposal practices.

Aside from championing segregation systems and proper waste disposal, the manual features innovative reuse programs of SM Prime’s business units that keep materials in circulation and out of landfills.

SM Prime hopes the manual will help inspire others to segregate waste and create a ripple effect to scale up the practice.

The manual has earned the nod of the United Nations Development Program, with its resident representative, Dr. Selva Ramachandran, lauding the RDC bin labeling system.

“Proper waste segregation is an entry point toward a circular economy — one that goes beyond waste management to design out waste, keep materials in circulation, and regenerate natural systems,” he said.

“A waste-free future requires shared action from government, business, and communities. May this manual be a catalyst for deeper collaboration, innovation, and circular solutions that support national priorities and the global Sustainable Development Agenda — building systems across sectors that prevent waste, recover valuable resources, and protect our environment for generations to come,” he added.

SM Prime launched the SM Waste-Free Future campaign during the 2024 World Environment Day.

SM Engineering Design and Development president Hans “Chico” Sy stressed at the time that solving the mounting garbage problem requires all hands on deck and that working together can create a sustainable, waste-free future.