The Asia Responsible Enterprise Awards (AREA) 2023 is pleased to honor 78 outstanding business leaders and enterprises for championing sustainable and responsible business practices. Presented by leading regional NGO Enterprise Asia, the AREA is the most reputable award recognition program recognizing organizational efforts in creating a culture of compassion, integrity, and in being socially responsible corporate citizens. The AREA serves as a badge of excellence to spur further innovation and best-practice sharing for your organization and the world at large.
Watsons Personal Care Stores Philippines, Inc. (Watsons) was among the recipients who were conferred with the Green Leadership Award. As a leading retailer, through its “LOOK GOOD, DO GOOD, FEEL GREAT” promise, Watsons goes the extra mile, bringing smiles to people’s faces and providing the best of health, well-being, beauty, and personal care in its online and physical stores.
The company’s sustainability efforts further expand its efforts through its 4 pillars. These pillars are the Community pillar has the company works to improve people’s lives and support through health services, providing aid, and guidance towards a better future; the Customers which encourages the company to make cleaner and greener options available for shoppers at every touchpoint; the Planet pillar leads the company to provide green alternatives accessible and affordable for every customer and reduce waste and greenhouse emissions with its operations; the People pillar pushes the company to put into action its mantra to “do good” by recycling, energy conservation, and waste reduction.
In 2022, under Watsons’ Customer pillar, the company has enrolled 1,700 certified sustainable products and counting, resulting in overall sustainability efforts hitting 11.26% of total sales participation as of June 2023 YTD. During the Green Week Sales, 15% of sales came from more sustainable products. Watsons’ educational efforts include social media posts that drive social responsibility awareness.
For its Planet pillar, the company collected 1,014kg of trash at the coastal cleanup, in collaboration with CORA Philippines. The coastal clean-up generated 12.3M in PR value, 4.1M in media value, and 8,897,120 unique reaches. Through the Plastic Bank, Watsons was able to recover and recycle 2.5M plastic bottles.
For its Community pillar, the company has given 1830 families free check-ups as of June 2023 YTD and medicines through Alagang Pangkalusugan and aided 146 beneficiaries to get free cleft/lip palette surgery through Operation Smile from 2022 to 2023 YTD.
For its People pillar, Watsons was able to train 94% of its workforce through its sustainability development programs. As Watsons expands the campaign in future iterations, it aims to influence trends and behavior for the future. As customer preference shifts, demand for sustainable choices will grow. Watsons aims to inspire change in its customers’ shopping behavior positively. With an enrolled 1,700 sustainable Stock Keeping Units (SKUs), it is expected to continuously grow. The company targets to use 100% RSPO palm oil and 100% FSC paper for all its Watsons branded products by 2025.
As the company continues to learn, educate, and innovate, it aims to actively focus on helping the community by extending health service assistance and providing aid for the marginalized sectors. The company aims to target mobilizing 2,500 surgeries with Operation Smile and gain 11,000 Alagang Pangkalusugan beneficiaries by 2025. To further reduce its carbon footprint, the company targets to increase the number of installed solar panels in community stores, get 15M plastic bottles recycled with recycling programs, reach 33,500kg of trash collected, and purchase renewable energy for distribution centers all by 2025.
About Enterprise Asia
Enterprise Asia is a non-governmental organization in pursuit of creating an Asia that is rich in entrepreneurship as an engine toward sustainable and progressive economic and social development within a world of economic equality. Its two pillars of existence are investment in people and responsible entrepreneurship. Enterprise Asia works with governments, NGOs and other organizations to promote competitiveness and entrepreneurial development, in uplifting the economic status of people across Asia and in ensuring a legacy of hope, innovation and courage for the future generation. Please visit https://www.enterpriseasia.org/ for more information.
About Asia Responsible Enterprise Awards (AREA)
The Asia Responsible Enterprise Awards program recognizes and honors Asian businesses for championing sustainable and responsible entrepreneurship in the categories of Green Leadership, Investment in People, Health Promotion, Social Empowerment, Corporate Governance, Circular Economy Leadership, Corporate Sustainability Reporting, and Responsible Business Leadership. For more information, visit: https://enterpriseasia.org/area/.