Sustainability from mill to meal. Aboitiz Foods empowers its workforce and communities to be active partners in sustainability, fostering a culture of environmental stewardship.

On March 30, marking International Day of Zero Waste, Aboitiz Foods reaffirmed its commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship by adapting industrial-scale systems to effectively embed circularity into its operations.

In the Philippines, Aboitiz Foods, through its subsidiary Pilmico Foods Corporation (Pilmico), had diverted 86 percent of the waste generated across its operations away from landfills by the end of 2025. The company has recycled, treated, or repurposed more than 2,000 tons of waste, a 5-percent improvement from the previous year. The waste stream includes plastics, recyclables, hazardous materials, and biodegradables, reflecting a comprehensive approach to waste management.

From sourcing to consumption, Pilmico has aligned its operations to keep this process as close to zero waste as possible, embedding waste-reduction and recovery mechanisms across feed milling, flour production, and food manufacturing.

Its performance under the Philippines’ Extended Producer Responsibility Act reflects this shift. In 2024, Pilmico exceeded mandated plastic recovery targets by more than 300 percent, recovering 326 percent of its rigid plastic footprint and 60 percent of its flexible plastic footprint, well above the required threshold. The results indicate that its recovery systems have moved beyond compliance toward a more integrated model of material management.

Packaging reform has also become a key focus. Pilmico has begun transitioning to lighter-weight packaging for its feed products, reducing plastic use by up to 25 percent per sack. The company is also encouraging large-scale partners, including farms and food service providers, to adopt bulk procurement systems, supported by direct-to-farm feed delivery and bulk flour shipments. These measures reduce reliance on single-use packaging while improving supply chain efficiency.

Beyond its facilities, the company has extended its efforts to host communities. In 2025, initiatives such as Kalinisan engaged barangay (villages) in Mariveles, Bataan; Meycauayan, Bulacan; Concepcion, Tarlac; and Iligan City in waste recovery and cleanup activities. Around 60 volunteers, composed of employees and contractors, participated in coastal cleanups, tree planting, and environmental restoration projects, collecting and segregating about half a ton of waste.

As the convergence of global advocacy and localized action becomes more apparent, Aboitiz Foods’ progress toward zero waste is incremental and systems-driven, anchored on measurable outcomes and continuous improvement. The observance of International Day of Zero Waste serves not only as a reminder of what is at stake but as a marker of how far industries and communities have begun to move toward redefining waste itself.

Read the full feature article at The Manila Times.

Frequently Asked Questions

1: What is this article about?
Published to mark International Day of Zero Waste on March 30, this article details concrete, measurable steps taken to embed circularity and waste reduction across food and agribusiness operations in the Philippines. It covers landfill diversion rates, plastic recovery performance, packaging reform, supply chain changes, and grassroots community clean-up programs — demonstrating a systems-driven approach to sustainability rather than symbolic gestures.

2: How much waste has been diverted from landfills, and what does that mean in practice?
By end of 2025, 86 percent of waste generated across Philippine operations was diverted from landfills. Over 2,000 tons of materials — including plastics, recyclables, hazardous materials, and biodegradables — were recycled, treated, or repurposed, representing a 5 percent improvement over the prior year. This covers operations spanning feed milling, flour production, and food manufacturing, reflecting a holistic approach to waste management across diverse production processes.

3: How has the company performed under the Philippines’ Extended Producer Responsibility Act?
Performance under the Philippines’ EPR Act has exceeded mandated targets significantly. In 2024, 326 percent of the required rigid plastic footprint and over 60 percent of the flexible plastic footprint were recovered — far above the legal thresholds. This result reflects an integrated material management model that moves beyond compliance toward institutionalized recovery systems embedded in core operations.

4: What packaging and supply chain changes are being made to reduce plastic use?
A transition to lighter-weight packaging for feed products is underway, reducing plastic use by up to 25 percent per sack. Large-scale partners including farms and food service providers are being encouraged to adopt bulk procurement systems, supported by direct-to-farm feed delivery and bulk flour shipments. These measures reduce reliance on single-use packaging while simultaneously improving supply chain efficiency and cost effectiveness.

5: How do community-level programs complement the company’s industrial waste reduction efforts?
Beyond facility-level programs, community initiatives like Kalinisan engage host barangays in areas including Mariveles, Bataan; Meycauayan, Bulacan; Concepcion, Tarlac; and Iligan City. In 2025, around 60 employee and contractor volunteers participated in coastal cleanups, tree planting, and environmental restoration, collecting and segregating approximately half a ton of waste. These grassroots efforts extend corporate sustainability values into the neighborhoods where operations have the most direct social footprint.