Nestlé Philippines, Republic Cement team up to co-process post-consumer waste
16 May 2019
The amount of plastics ending up in waterways and in the ocean is of great concern in the country and other areas of the world. In a major initiative to help address this concern, Nestlé Philippines and Republic Cement and Building Materials, Inc. have entered into an agreement to co-process post-consumer plastic waste in the cementkilns of Republic Cement. The agreement was signed by Chairman and CEO Kais Marzouki and Corporate Affairs Head Atty. Ernesto Mascenon of Nestlé Philippines, and President Renato Sunico and Director Nabil Francis of Republic Cement and Building Materials, Inc. Mr. Francis is concurrently CEO of Republic Cement Services, Inc. Cement kiln co-processing is the process used to create cement. It takes raw materials such as calcium carbonate and silica and feeds them into a kiln along with fuel. The materials are burned to such a high temperature that any complex material is broken into simpler compounds. The end result of the process is cement, and any emissions from the process are filtered and monitored by the minute to abide by local DENR standards. Co-processing is an alternative waste management solution that can use waste as fuel. In the Philippines, while landfilling and physical treatment are more common, co-processing is more advantageous given that energy and minerals coming from waste are almost completely utilized. “Nestlé is aiming for plastic neutrality, which is essentially recovering plastics equal to what we produce. Aside from our current collection and recycling initiatives, we believe this effort will help us gather and co-process bigger volumes of post-consumer waste. We target to divert more post-consumer waste from landfills and the ocean. This partnership will contribute positively in helping clean-up the Philippines.” Mr. Marzouki remarked. “There’s still a lack of knowledge on the importance of co-processing. We look forward to helping address the issue of post-consumer waste and look forward to the successful implementation of this project,” Mr. Sunico said. “We are happy to partner with Nestlé Philippines and to help address pollution from residual plastics and sachets. This is a win-win situation for us and the environment. Together, we can build a greener, stronger Republic,” Mr. Francis said. In April 2018, Nestlé globally announced a commitment that 100 percent of its packaging will be recyclable or reusable by 2025. The company’s vision is that none of itswaste ends up in landfill or as litter. Achieving the vision entails three focus areas: developing the packaging of the future; helping shape a waste-free future through collection and recycling; and driving new behaviors and understanding on waste. Nestlé has initiated and is driving waste collection efforts with various partners. A portion of the wastes collected go to recycling and upcycling programs producing construction materials such as eco-bricks and eco-pavers, as well as school chairs. Republic Cement is a CRH–Aboitiz Company with five cement plants and one grinding station in the Philippines, and more than 60 years cement manufacturing experience. The company has the capability and is duly licensed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to use and dispose of qualified waste streams throughcement kiln co-processing. “Taking action on plastic waste is a big challenge. We are on a journey, exploring possible avenues in our defined focus areas, applying our learnings, looking to build on successes along the way,” Mr. Marzouki said, “and in all this, it is important for different sectors to work together.”
