Consumers have been increasingly considering the sustainable practices of brands and their products. From the materials used, the production process, to the packaging, many consumers are becoming conscious of sustainability as they shop and make a purchase.
As the country’s leading retailer, SM Retail, Inc. makes shopping for sustainable products easier for consumers with the launch of SM Green Finds.
“The Green Finds initiative is about bringing together our suppliers, our partners in green living, and the consumers so that we make green and eco-friendly products more accessible,” said Catherine Ileto, vice-president for corporate communications at SM Retail.
Catherine Ileto, vice-president for corporate communications at SM Retail
By having the Green Finds badge on eco-friendly products, shoppers can easily see the sustainable choices, which are made using natural ingredients or green technology, and support local communities.
Green Finds is SM Retail’s contribution to the SM Green Movement, said Ms. Ileto. “This is really all about advocating for a greener lifestyle and finding opportunities to push sustainability to our consumers, even through our retail affiliates like Watsons, Ace Hardware, Body Shop, and Kultura. Currently, as we launch the SM Green Finds, we already have 3,000 SKUs that are considered eco-friendly, and are sustainably sourced,” she said.
SM offers various green finds through its Home, Fashion, and Beauty departments, such as kitchenware made from high-quality bamboo or tableware from acacia wood, fashion pieces from recycled materials, and clean beauty products free from harmful chemicals.
Its retail affiliates also offer eco-friendly options, made of natural ingredients or produced by social enterprises. Kultura, for instance, is known for its handcrafted products made by artisans and social enterprises that use locally sourced materials such as abaca, bamboo, and rattan.
Currently, customers can look for the Green Finds badge at the SM Store in SM Mall of Asia until August 26. But very soon SM will roll out this initiative in more SM Stores across the country.
Ms. Ileto said, “The intention is to embed Green Finds within the individual selling pads and even across the retail affiliates.”
By making sustainable and eco-friendly products accessible to shoppers through Green Finds, SM wants to support customers to take first steps towards greener lifestyle choices. And at the same time, through this initiative, SM hopes to encourage its suppliers to employ greener means of production.
Sustainability at SM
Aside from supporting sustainability through the products displayed in its stores, SM also builds sustainability within the workplace.
In fact, the SM Retail Headquarters itself is designed with sustainability in mind.
The SM Retail Headquarters is designed with sustainability in mind.
The two-tower, 14-storey office features sustainable and healthy workspaces. The building has facilities that support collaboration among employees, as well as a space for meditation, a gym, nap room, chapel, and a sky garden teeming with varieties of trees and plants.
The office building has also received its WELL Health-Safety Rating, from International WELL Building Institute, for facility operations for cleaning and sanitization procedures, air and water quality management, emergency preparedness programs, and innovation.
Furthermore, SM Retail’s new office is made energy-efficient, utilizing an automated lighting systems for a lower power consumption, use of Insulating Glass Unit (IGU) to keep the building cooler and lessen noise transmission. It also has water recycling plant and proper waste management facilities.
It commits to ensuring that more than half the energy used in its properties comes from renewable sources, as well as developing efficient LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) buildings.
“We built the SM Retail Headquarters compliant with international standards for sustainable development because the well-being of our employees and customers inside the building is of utmost importance,” said Architect Luis Lava, Workplace and Administration head of SMRI.
Wherever it can, SM endeavors to act as an advocate of sustainability. Koleen Palaganas, vice-president and group head for Sustainability, said, “SM also supports sustainable practices through its ongoing programs that involve planting trees and mangroves, and protecting marine species and birds. It also seeks to share knowledge about sustainability, educating our employees by running the largest sustainability school in the country, and hosting sustainability conferences with other leading companies, government and nongovernment agencies.”
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