SMC taps biodegradable plastics for packaging

San Miguel Corporation (SMC) is set to become the first Filipino company to utilize fully-certified biodegradable plastic packaging.

The company said it is tapping a local firm that has been developing and testing the technology for the last five years, which SMC is initially set to use for food and nonfood products, such as cement and feed sacks, grocery bags and food and other single-use plastic packaging.

The move will be the newest addition to San Miguel’s sustainable business models, which include the zero-waste returnable glass bottle system, and manufacturing processes following circular economy principles– where by-products are re-used to create other products.

SMC president and chief operating officer Ramon S. Ang said that it is partnering with Philippine Bioresins Corporation, a small but innovative company, that has successfully developed and tested biodegradable plastics.

“Initially, we will use it for cement packaging. What we will use is a biodegradable plastic woven packaging, or sack. This is proudly developed by Filipino inventors, using local materials, and made by local workers,” Ang said.

Philippine Bioresins Corporation was recently given an Environmental Technology Verification certificate by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Industrial Technology Development Institute.

The DOST verification confirmed that the biodegradable polypropylene produced by the company will be 64.65 percent degraded in 24 months as compared to non-biodegradable plastics (4.5 percent in 24 months).

“We have always been looking for innovative environmental technologies, and we are excited about this development. We are looking forward to using biodegradable plastics, and this is just the beginning, as they are developing other technologies in this field,” Ang said.