A joint venture between SM Prime Holdings, Inc. and Yokohama-based Japanese environmental solutions company GUUN has formed a collaborative ecosystem dedicated to waste transformation and circularity.

The new company, SM GUUN Environmental Company, Inc. (SM GUUN), aims to develop markets for recovered materials as a key step toward building a successful waste management system and a waste-free future.

SM GUUN’s main initiative is to reimagine waste not as an endpoint but as a renewable resource.

“At SM GUUN, we see waste as the beginning of new opportunities,” said SM GUUN President George Cheung. He added that the new model brings together technology innovators, manufacturers, policymakers, and community organizations.

“Working collectively, the group aims to scale up advanced recycling, upcycling, and waste-to-energy solutions, while reducing dependence on landfills and minimizing environmental impact,” he added.

Cheung stressed that partnerships are vital to creating systemic and sustainable circularity. “Through this ecosystem, and with the strength of our partners, we are turning waste into valuable resources for the environment, the economy, and society.”

The initiative goes beyond waste management, focusing on circular value chains that generate economic opportunity, reduce emissions, and foster social inclusion.

A blueprint for the future

In Asia, establishing end markets for recovered materials remains a challenge, requiring demand creation from businesses that use them in waste transformation.

“Investing in facilities to support the infrastructure that can process the raw materials is still in its infancy. That’s why it’s encouraging to have partners who are like-minded in innovation and purpose, taking collaborative action,” Cheung said.

Through the SM Green Movement, SM Prime continues to champion sustainability by focusing on waste management, water stewardship, and energy efficiency.

As businesses worldwide face mounting pressure to deliver on climate commitments and ESG goals, SM GUUN’s ecosystem positions itself as a replicable model for sustainable growth and a leader in the circular economy transition.