NWPC participated in the virtual workshop on “Business Models for the Circular Economy in SMEs” organized by the Asian Productivity Organization (APO) in cooperation with the Vietnam National Productivity Institute on December 21-23, 2022.

Francis Atangan and John Rowen Rubite of NWPC attended the workshop, which was conducted to share and discuss the foundations and business models that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) may utilize in adopting the circular economy concept in business operations.

In the Philippines, one circular economy initiative is a holistic community program launched by the Local Government of Quezon City in 2021 and implemented by the Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability Department in partnership with the Basic Environmental Systems and Technologies, Inc. (BEST). Titled “Trash to Cashback Program,” this initiative provides an innovative solution for citizens in the community to participate in the waste diversion project.

The five (5) steps of the BEST circular economy model of this program focus on the following: 1) recyclable materials segregation; 2) exchange for reward points; 3) redeem incentives through equivalent service/product; 4) collection of recycling/upcycling partner companies; and 5) recycling and upcycling. (Article by John Rowen Rubite)