The Aboitiz Group is leveraging its diversified portfolio to accelerate the circular economy, transforming waste into valuable resources through greater collaboration among its businesses.

Speaking at the 2026 Philippine Sustainability Now Forum organized by the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Makati City, Aboitiz Equity Ventures Chief Reputation and Sustainability Officer Ginggay Hontiveros-Malvar said the future of circularity lies in building stronger business partnerships rather than simply expanding recycling infrastructure.

"The future of circularity is not about building more recycling facilities. It is about building better business connections," Hontiveros-Malvar said.

She said the group views circularity not only as an environmental initiative but also as a long-term business strategy that enhances resilience amid rising material costs, resource scarcity, climate risks and changing investor and consumer expectations.

The company's sustainability efforts have earned external recognition, with Aboitiz Equity Ventures ranking among the top three Philippine conglomerates in the 2025 S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment for its environmental, social and governance performance.

Across its portfolio, the group has developed initiatives that keep resources in use.

Aboitiz Foods and Coca-Cola Europacific Aboitiz Philippines have redesigned packaging and expanded recovery systems that have diverted more than 3,600 tons of plastic waste since the implementation of the Extended Producer Responsibility law in 2023.

Recovered PET bottles are processed by PETValue Philippines into food-grade recycled resin used to manufacture new beverage bottles, reaching a milestone of one billion recycled bottles in 2024.

Plastic materials that cannot be recycled into new bottles, such as caps and labels, are supplied to Republic Cement, where they are co-processed as alternative fuel. The initiative has diverted more than 1.5 million metric tons of residual plastic waste from landfills while reducing the company's dependence on fossil fuels.

Through Coca-Cola Europacific Aboitiz Philippines' "Tapon to Ipon" program, post-consumer PET bottles are collected and returned to the production cycle, reinforcing a circular economy where waste becomes a valuable resource.

The group has also embedded circular practices across its other businesses.

At Aboitiz InfraCapital's LIMA Estate, water reuse, composting, materials recovery and renewable energy systems are integrated to improve resource efficiency.

Meanwhile, AboitizPower is creating value from industrial by-products while expanding renewable energy capacity, and UnionBank is reducing resource consumption through digital banking while helping finance sustainable investments.

"As the Philippines' first techglomerate and as a diversified portfolio of businesses, we are creating value and helping industries become more sustainable by connecting businesses into one circular ecosystem," Hontiveros-Malvar said.

Looking ahead, she said the group's next goal is to integrate these initiatives into a unified circular business ecosystem where resources, capabilities and partnerships generate greater shared value.

"For Aboitiz, our greatest opportunity is to transform from a collection of sustainable businesses into a truly circular business ecosystem," she said.