Nutri-Asia - Environmental Campaign of the Year

Company: Nutri-Asia, Inc. Taguig City, Metro Manila
Entyry Submitted By: Ripple8, Inc.
Company Description: NutriAsia is the leading producer and distributor of sauces and condiments in the Philippines. Founded in 1991, NutriAsia has been the reliable kitchen and culinary partner of Filipino households, providing the country with the most innovative and trusted brands such as Datu Puti, Silver Swan, UFC, Mang Tomas, and Papa.
Nomination Category: Corporate Communications, Investor Relations, & Public Relations Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Communications or PR Campaign of the Year - Environmental

Nomination Title: BYOB (Bring Your Own Bote) Zero-Waste Campaign

Specify the date on which this campaign or program was launched:

NutriAsia Incorporated’s BYOB (Bring Your Own Bote) Zero-Waste program was launched on July 25, 2019 with the opening of its first BYOB store at The Mind Museum in Bonifacio Global City (BGC), Taguig City.

A second location was opened at the City Hall compound of the Quezon City (QC) City Hall on February 27, 2020 in partnership with the local government unit (LGU).

As a leading sauce and condiments maker with near-global presence, NutriAsia is aware of the immense role it plays in realizing plastics waste reduction and sustainability.

It’s no secret that the biggest culprit to ocean pollutants is a cost-saving convenience to mankind. Yet millions living below the poverty line rely on the sachet economy to make ends meet, in spite of the enormous amount of trash disposable plastic unleash.

To strengthen its advocacy for a zero-waste community and meet the shifting consumer mindset toward brands that are more eco-aware, NutriAsia aligned with the government’s “Refill Revolution” program with BYOB.

Whereas “Refill Revolution” were scheduled one-day refilling events at select mobile locations, the BYOB program featured static booths where reusable containers can be refilled with household and kitchen essentials at the public’s convenience.

Practicing what it preached, BYOB stores were constructed with building materials made of “eco-bricks” – bricks using plastic discards as a components – attracting both the budget and environmentally-conscious.

BYOB offered lower-than-market prices while assuring product quality – something that independent refillers cannot guarantee. And since non-NutriAsia bottles were not discriminated against, other containers were generally acceptable so long as they were clean and dry.

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. For those whose main concern is nature preservation, BYOB stores also serve as drop-off points where donations of any plastic materials are collected. These plastics are repurposed into school furnishings for the host city’s public schools in accordance with circular economies.

NutriAsia came up with an idea consistent with its zero-waste advocacy in BYOB, re-introducing a defunct buying practice called ‘tingi’ (retail).

Buying in sachets and ‘tingi’ share the same premise wherein expensive products in bulk are parceled into more reasonably-priced meager portions. The former evolved from the latter. But while disposable sachets end up as trash, buyers had to bring refillable containers with ‘tingi.’

When single-use plastic pouches were introduced to Asia in the early 1980s, ‘tingi’ became obsolete. BYOB brings back the environmentally-friendly practice of ‘tingi’ while retaining the cost-benefits of purchasing in sachets. Every bottle refilled means one less bottle produced. And every bottle recycled is one less flotsam to fish out.

The world-class Mind Museum was chosen as BYOB’s first location due to proximity to residential areas in Bonifacio Global City, a booming financial and lifestyle district. The second location was at the grounds of the QC City Hall frequented daily by local residents.

Locations were selected based on accessibility, foot traffic, and strategic impact to the community, as well as the expediency of permits getting approved by host LGUs. To gain public awareness and adoption, NutriAsia organized media launches attended by print, online and broadcast media, and social media influencers.

In compliance with government mandates, BYOB stores temporarily closed due to the pandemic and eventually reopened after quarantines were relaxed. Anticipating the resumption of high patronage, NutriAsia recalibrated refill and customer engagement procedures with a strong emphasis on COVID-19 public health safety protocols.

-July 25, 2019– Press launch organized. A total 70 invitations sent out to print, broadcast and online media, and social media influencers. Confirmed press attendance reached 50. At +71%, this is considered an optimum response rate.
-July 30, 2019– BYOB opened its first store at The Mind Museum in Taguig City, Metro Manila. About a hundred guests comprising residents, government representatives, and media attended, with many eager to get their used containers refilled.
-September 30, 2029– The BGC BYOB, originally scheduled only until September 2019, becomes a permanent set-up due to public demand.
-February 27, 2020– Second BYOB branch at QC opens in partnership with the LGU.
-March 15, 2020– Proposals also sent to other LGUs to gauge interest regarding having their own BYOB location. Soft launch at interested towns or cities will be scheduled as soon as safely possible.
-July 30, 2019 to March 2020– A recorded 2000 bottles refilled and 1000 kilos of plastics are upcycled from the first BYOB store alone, with at least 200 households patronizing the BYOB store.
-August 24, 2020– BYOB BGC re-opens to the public with new guidelines adhering to COVID-19 safety protocols. (Refer to attachments 5 and 6 below for safety protocol details.)
-December 7, 2020– BYOB QC reopens to the public.
-January 31, 2021– Consolidated PR values for BYOB BGC and QC reach P51,160,368.96.
-March 30, 2021– 3500 bottles refilled, and 1200 kilos of plastics collected,due for upcycling into school furnishings for Gat Andress Bonifacio High School.

Links:

PDF file: NutriAsia BYOB Zero-Waste Campaign
Excel file: BYOB Store Publicity Report (August 2019 - May 2020)
Excel file: BYOB Publicity Report (September 2020 - January 2021)
PDF file: Signed Memorandum of Agreement
Press Release: “Get and Refill Your Favorite NutriAsia Sauces and Condiments at the Reopened BYOB (Bring Your Own Bote) Store in Quezon City”
Press Release: “NutriAsia’s Bring Your Own Bote store in Bonifacio Global City is open again”
Website: https://nutriasia.com/bring-your-own-bote/
Promotional video clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flwuVKYkKj0&;t=16s