PLDT and Smart teamed up with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources- Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) Region 6 and Robinsons Malls in Panay to launch an electronic waste (e-waste) disposal program in the region.
As part of their Sustainability initiatives, PLDT and Smart provided e-waste collection bins stationed in Robinsons Malls in Iloilo, Jaro, Pavia, Roxas, and Antique from October 24-28, 2022. The public dropped off their worn-out waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE).
E-waste refers to various forms of electric and electronic equipment that are no longer useful. The improper disposal, dismantling, or burning of e-waste can result in the release of harmful chemicals in the air, contamination of food and can eventually lead to illnesses.
PLDT and Smart’s Corporate Environmental Health and Safety Head Kristine Gonzalez-Catague thanked the DENR-EMB, Robinsons Malls, Metro Iloilo Bulk Water, and Metro Pacific Iloilo Water for the opportunity to participate in the event.
"As the country's leading integrated telco, we at PLDT and Smart are on a journey to embed Sustainability in the way we do business and continuously manage our impact to people and planet. Part of this is the recognition of our responsibility to ensure proper management and mitigation of our operational electronic waste footprint, as well as our role in enabling collective action for the industry and for our communities to better manage our e-waste and ultimately foster a circular economy,” Catague said.
The e-waste collection and disposal program was part of DENR-EMB's celebration of the International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week held at Robinsons Place Iloilo.
"As modernity catches up with humans, we too must adapt. We are seeing a rise in technology. Where do we go from here? Today, we answer the question: Where does our e-waste go? We are thankful to our partners for their help in the collection of household and individual e-waste. Today, we are taking the first step," said Atty. Ramar Niel Pascua, regional director of the EMB-6.
DENR 6 Executive Director Living Duran said that the event is one way of educating people about lead poisoning and how to avoid it. "We still have a lot of education and information campaigns to do for the public to be aware of the harmful effects of e-waste on health,” Duran said.
PLDT and Smart's e-waste disposal program aligns with their commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs). Under SDG #12, Responsible Consumption and Production, companies are to ensure the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle, by agreed international frameworks, and significantly reduce their release to air, water, and soil to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment.
