Universal Robina Corporation, one of the country’s largest agro-industrial and commodity food manufacturers, has managed to save over 11 million cubic meters of water since 2018 through various water conservation initiatives.
“We recognize that water is a non-renewable resource, and that it is an essential input material in the production of our products,” said URC Chief Executive Officer Irwin Lee of these efforts, which are integral to the company's growing commitments toward corporate social responsibility and sustainable business practices.
Over the past four years, URC has saved enough water to fill 4,600 Olympic-size swimming pools. And in 2021 alone, the company managed to recycle over 860,000 cubic meters of water, enough to cover the needs of 2.26 million people for a day.
These were all achieved via URC’s reduce, reuse and recycle program meant to optimize water use.
URC has been reducing its water consumption by fixing leaks, replacing pipes with more durable materials like stainless steel, eliminating production wastage, improving the efficiency of its water treatment facilities, and using rainwater harvesting methods.
It reuses water for cleaning pallets, watering plants, and flushing toilets.
It recycles water meant for washing critical raw materials used in its products, such as unpeeled potatoes, as well as for its cooling towers.
Apart from becoming more mindful on how water is consumed at its facilities here and abroad, URC also has a slew of programs to protect key watersheds.
It has company-wide environmental stewardship initiatives, including reforestation programs, coastal, river and drainage clean-up drives, and mangrove-planting activities.
Last year, some 7,600 seedlings were planted across different sites through URC’s partnerships with local government units and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
The company’s Sugar and Renewables Group, meanwhile, has signed a memorandum of agreement with the DENR to adopt a 3-hectare forest in the Municipality of Manjuyod in Negros Oriental, and another 5 hectares in San Enrique, Iloilo. The adoption of more watersheds and forests is already being planned.
These conservation efforts are part of URC’s pursuit to become a sustainable global enterprise by 2035, committed to demonstrating its people- and planet-friendly corporate culture throughout the full scale of its operations, down to every product that arrives on store shelves.
For more information on URC, visit urc.com.ph
