Initiative has recovered close to 17.5 metric tons of food and beverage cartons since expanding to Western Visayas in 2025
Tetra Pak is strengthening its Cartons for Communities initiative in the Philippines to promote a circular economy in the Visayas region, a recycling awareness program focused on environmental and community stewardship. This initiative brings together collectors, recyclers, industry players, schools, government stakeholders, communities, and consumers to expand waste collection efforts.
Since expanding to Western Visayas in August 2025, the initiative has grown to engage 25 local government units (LGUs) across six provinces, 14 schools, and 24 commercial establishments, contributing to the recycling of close to 17.5 metric tons (MT) of food and beverage cartons (FBCs) across Western Visayas, building a more sustainable and accessible recovery system for Region VI.
Cartons for Communities pilot in Iloilo province was launched with Justine’s Recycling, which serves as the primary aggregator. The program has operated in Luzon since 2022, working with local government units, private communities, schools, and junk shops to support carton collection and recycling.
“A strong collection system is critical to unlocking the recyclable value of food and beverage cartons. We work alongside Tetra Pak, LGUs, and local establishments to collect, consolidate, and deliver cartons directly to recycling processors, strengthening the value chain for the environment and local communities alike,” said Steven Segovia, Owner, Justine’s Recycling.
The initial network in Iloilo province established a recovery system that collected approximately 4.8 MT of food and beverage cartons. Building on this foundation, Carton for Communities has progressively expanded its network across Western Visayas, creating more opportunities for communities, institutions, and businesses to participate in carton collection and recycling.
“Western Visayas has shown us what is possible when local governments, businesses, schools, collectors, and communities come together around a shared goal. Our focus is to continue building this local momentum by making carton collection more accessible, strengthening connections with collectors and recyclers, and enabling more communities across the Visayas to participate in recycling. Ultimately, circularity is built locally, and the progress we are seeing in Western Visayas demonstrates the impact that strong partnerships can create,” noted Catherine Chua, Senior Sustainability Manager,
Tetra Pak Philippines and Singapore.
Through Cartons for Communities, participating organizations and communities can:
- Join a growing network of organizations supporting food and beverage carton collection and recycling
- Connect with collection, aggregation, and recycling partners
- Access resources and information to support recycling participation and awareness activities
- Identify opportunities to contribute to collection and recovery efforts in their communities
- Find nearby carton drop-off and collection points
- Learn how to empty, flatten, and sort cartons correctly for recycling
Building partnerships across the recycling value chain
Cartons for Communities works with stakeholders across the value chain to support awareness and collection activities across the Western Visayas region. The program focuses on five key partner groups:
Local government units: Tetra Pak engaged local government representatives and environmental officers to discuss ongoing waste management initiatives, local needs, and opportunities to strengthen carton collection and recycling. These engagements help better understand local priorities and align activities with communities’ needs and waste management goals across the region.
Junk Shops such as Justine’s Recycling act as a local collection and aggregation hub, receiving, sorting, and consolidating food and beverage cartons from households and communities. They help ensure proper handling of materials and connect collected cartons to downstream recyclers, supporting more efficient flow into the recycling system.
Schools: Schools promote recycling habits through student and teacher engagement, awareness campaigns, and internal collection systems. These efforts not only support carton recovery but also build long-term environmental awareness that extends to families and surrounding communities.
Private communities: Through partnerships with property management offices and housekeeping teams, we provide the resources and support needed to make carton recovery easier and keep valuable materials in circulation. Residents can deposit their cleaned, dried, and flattened used beverage cartons in designated community collection bins.
For more information about Tetra Pak’s circularity initiative, please visit https://www.tetrapak.com/en-ph/sustainability/focus-areas/circularity
