SGV Financial Accounting Advisory Services (FAAS) and Climate Change and Sustainability Services (CCaSS) Partner Benjamin N. Villacorte (BNV) and CCaSS Director Diana Sadili-Chu represented SGV in a policy change discussion organized by the French Embassy and makesense Asia in November 2022 at the Sunset Pavilion in Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila. The conference was held to discuss proposed changes in Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry practices to broaden the use of mainstream refilling for personal care products.
Benjamin and Diana at the Mainstream Refilling conference
The event initiated crucial conversations, sparked innovative ideas, and discussed points of collaboration in addressing the urgency of plastic pollution in the Philippines, particularly the case of single-use plastics. It highlighted findings, recommendations, and opportunities for government agencies, major businesses, and other vital organizations to advance the mainstreaming of refill and reuse systems for personal care products in the country through policy change and innovations in terms of operations.
makesense Philippines President and Global Senior Director Lea Klein with UNDP Climate Action Programme Analyst Gwyneth Palmos, L’Oréal Country Managing Director Yannick Raynaud, and Human Nature President & Co-founder Ana Meloto-Wilk
Human Nature President & Co-founder Anna Meloto-Wilk and L’Oréal Country Managing Director Yannick Raynaud shared their respective companies’ experiences and challenges in implementing sustainability initiatives, specifically their refilling initiatives. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Climate Action Programme Analyst Gwyneth Palmos talked about the adoption of extended producer responsibility (EPR) and the impact of product refilling systems for retailers.
NOYPI Coalition members pose for a group photo
In May 2022, SGV signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with makesense to be part of the No Other Year for Plastics Initiative (NOYPI) 2025 Coalition, hence the Firm’s participation in the Mainstream Refilling conference. SGV’s CCaSS team has also signed a manifesto with the Coalition and has actively participated in the Coalition’s activities for the past few months.
NOYPI 2025 is a multi-stakeholder coalition launched by makesense Asia to develop collaborative upstream solutions that address the challenges of single-use plastic waste in the Philippines. The coalition convenes leaders and organizations from the public and private sectors, academe, civil society, and circular economy actors— collaborating in mapping, rethinking, and designing the strategies and transition towards an environmentally-friendly system of consumption.
