WE’RE WASTING OUR WASTE
The Philippines knows how to recycle. Making it work is another matter. Norway is helping explore how.
PLASTIC bottles compressed into bales at a recycling facility operated by Norway’s Infinitum. The company’s bottle-return system is among the approaches being discussed as the Philippines explores ways to improve waste recovery.
Photograph courtesy of Infinitum
Norway and the Philippines are exploring solutions to the country’s waste management challenges, with 180 government officials, business leaders, media representatives and sustainability experts gathering for the Norway-Philippines Circular Economy Conference 2026.
The Royal Norwegian Embassy in Manila, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Innovation Norway and the Philippines Norway Business Council convened the full-day conference on 22 October to discuss practical approaches to a circular economy, which aims to keep materials in use and reduce waste.
Norwegian Ambassador Kristian Netland emphasized the need to rethink waste as a resource rather than the end of a product’s life, citing Norway’s experience in bottle-to-bottle recycling, plastic recovery and systems that keep materials in circulation.
He said solutions must reflect Philippine conditions and be environmentally and economically viable, requiring cooperation among government, businesses, technology providers and consumers.
DENR Secretary Juan Miguel T. Cuna also highlighted the country’s waste challenges and called for collaborative solutions.
Morning sessions examined circular economy technologies and practices, including baling, plastic recovery, deposit return systems and bottle-to-bottle recycling. Speakers included representatives from Norwegian organizations Innovation Norway, ORKEL Holding AS, INFRAMAR, TOMRA, DNV and Hoppsann Technology AS.
Philippine-based participants included GIZ, PET Value, Philippine Spring Water Resources, which operates under the Nature’s Spring brand, Evergreen Labs and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.
The conference also featured “Trash Talking” discussions on landfill constraints, practical circular systems, extended producer responsibility, end-of-life strategies for renewable energy assets and integrated waste management.
The Royal Norwegian Embassy said it has worked with Philippine partners since 2023 to support the country’s transition to a circular economy, focusing on plastic pollution and stronger waste recovery systems. Its initiatives have included workshops, study tours and bilateral discussions with the Philippine government.
The partnership aims to share Norway’s experience in recycling and waste management to support environmental policy development and encourage businesses in the Philippines to adopt circular economy practices.