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Century Pacific Group Companies Sign Agreement in Push to Be “Plastic-Neutral”.

Two companies under the Century Pacific Group (CPG) recently signed an agreement in push to be “plastic-neutral” by 2020.

The companies, Century Pacific Food (PSE: CNPF) and Shakey’s Pizza Asia Ventures (PSE: PIZZA), alongside Republic Cement, have agreed to co-process post-consumer plastic waste, converting these to energy as an alternative fuel in producing cement.

CNPF, one of the Philippines’ leading food companies, is the company behind household names Century Tuna, Argentina, 555, and Birch Tree. PIZZA is the owner of iconic Shakey’s brand, a leader in both the pizza and full-service restaurant categories.

Both are among the Philippines’ top consumer companies and are working to minimize their environmental footprint. CNPF in particular has been in the forefront of marine sustainability, being the first among Philippine tuna companies to join a global coalition to ensure the conservation of seafood resources.

“This new partnership paves the way for us to conduct our businesses in a more sustainable way,” said CPG President Christopher Po.

“Over the years, our companies have implemented various programs to help promote a greener Philippines. These include various recycling initiatives and attempts to reduce packaging waste. As we grow in number of products sold and restaurant outlets opened, we’ve also sought partners to help balance out our environmental effects. This now includes Republic Cement, and we look forward to working with them in this worthwhile endeavor,” he added.

“We are happy to share this advocacy with the Century Pacific Group to promote and support responsible disposal of plastic packaging materials to reduce its harmful effects on the environment,” said Republic Cement Services, Inc. President Nabil Francis.

The method of co-processing uses very high heat from cement manufacturing to completely destroy waste materials, recovering from them thermal and mineral properties which provide the energy needed to produce cement.

At a high temperature of 1450°C, co-processed waste leaves zero residue.

Republic Cement will co-process non-specific, recovered post-consumer plastic materials utilizing the energy from the plastics as an alternative fuel in order to produce cement. .

This will allow both CNPF and PIZZA to be “plastic-neutral” – offsetting the amount of plastic produced with an equivalent amount of post-consumer plastics to be used for co-processing by Republic Cement.

Republic Cement is licensed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to use and dispose of qualified waste streams through cement kiln co-processing.

The agreement between the Companies was signed last May 31, 2019 by Po, Francis, Shakey’s President Vicente Gregorio, Republic Cement President Renato Sunico, and Republic Cement Vice-President Martin Wills.

Concern over plastic pollution has been spurred globally in recent years, including in the Philippines. Around 300 million tonnes of plastic are produced every year, according to the Worldwide Fund for Nature, with much of it ending up in landfills or polluting the seas, in what has become a growing international crisis.

“With more Filipino companies embracing the plastic-neutrality concept, we are confident that we are making strides for a greener, stronger Republic. Ultimately, this is about preserving the environment for Filipinos for generations to come,” Francis adds.

Po said, “Our brands represent quality, value-for-money products. We hope that they will eventually stand for responsible consumption as well.”

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