SMC on track on goal to cut water use by 50%

Miguel Corp. said it has made significant headway on its goal to cut water use across all its operations and has started investing and putting in place programs as part of its ambitious push to integrate sustainability into the conglomerate’s business strategy.

The company, which celebrated its 127th anniversary yesterday, said that its businesses have mapped out a plan to reach an interim goal of 20 percent reduction by 2020. Investments in technologies have also been committed early this year to ensure it meets its 50 percent reduction goal by target year 2025.

The ambitious goal, enshrined in its “Water for All” initiative, was first announced in March this year. It involves reducing domestic and utility use of water across SMC’s beverage, food, packaging, power, infrastructure, and fuels businesses.

Since then, SMC’s businesses have already determined baseline water consumption against which the 2020 target of 20 percent reduction and 2025 target of 50 percent reduction, will be measured.

Early this month, SMC announced it was exiting the plastic bottled water business to lessen its environmental footprint. It is the first time a business was discontinued to support the company’s sustainability goals.

SMC president and chief operating officer Ramon S. Ang said the two major initiatives are part of a larger push towards sustainability.

Ang, however, clarified that the discontinuation of the bottled water business will not count as part of the water use reduction efforts.