Creating Shared Value: Concepcion Promotes Local Livelihoods and Offsets More Than 100% of Plastic

Concepcion empowers the Aling Tinderas in local communitiesto lead the change against plastic pollution in partnership with PCX

Concepcion Industrial Corporation (CIC), the nation's leading provider of home and business solutions, continues to redefine responsible corporate citizenship by proving that true sustainability must have an impact that extends beyond business. Its subsidiaries include Concepcion Carrier Air Conditioning Company (CCAC), Concepcion-Durables, Inc. (CDI), and Concepcion Midea Inc. Cortex Technologies Corporation (CTC) and the Philippines (CMIP) successfully diverted 885,000 kg of plastic waste throughout the last year.

Concepcion Industrial Corporation Sustainability Champions. at the 2025 PCX PULSE Sustainability Conference

This annual achievement demonstrates CIC's proactive approach to environmental management. Together with PCX, CIC has gone beyond simple environmental compliance. This collaboration ensures that an equivalent or greater amount of plastic is recovered, transformed into energy or reusable resources, and reintegrated into the country's circular economy for every kilogram of plastic produced by the company. With this achievement, CIC is happy to be among the few companies who consistently fulfill and exceed the plastic offsetting requirements set by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

The true test of CIC's program is its social impact at the local level, even though environmental data are significant. This objective depends on the Aling Tindera network, a scheme that transforms ordinary sari-sari companies into community collection hubs. Over 107,000 kg of the waste that was redirected as a result of this endeavor was collected directly from neighboring neighborhoods. In addition to removing plastic from the streets and oceans, this effort increases economic resilience by empowering women micro-entrepreneurs to lead environmental awareness in their communities while generating sustainable, supplemental income. 

For many of these women, participating in this “waste-to-cash” ecosystem has provided a  tangible pathway to financial stability and growth. Aling Belen, a program partner, highlighted  how the initiative secures her family's future: “Dinadala ko po siya sa pangangailangan ng  aking mga anak sa eskwela (I use this for my children's school needs).”

 Similarly, Aling Lorme reflected on the opportunities the program unlocked for her family's  business: “One week lang, puno na ang site namin dahil maraming nagbebenta sa amin ng  mga plastic bottles, sachet at PET bottles. Nakapagpundar na kami ngayon ng tindahan ng  school supplies. Kung wala itong Aling Tindera, hindi namin ma-eexpand ang aming  tindahan (In just one week, our site is full because so many people sell us plastic bottles and  sachets. We’ve since been able to establish a school supplies store. Without Aling Tindera,  we wouldn’t have been able to expand our business).” 

These stories help CIC fulfill its broader sustainability purpose. By combining significant investments in recycling infrastructure with community-level empowerment, recovered plastic waste is converted into reusable resources. This significantly reduces the quantity of plastic that ends up in landfills and the ocean while also promoting a circular economy. 

By cooperating, CIC demonstrates that ethical production is not just about removing harm but also about creating shared benefit. More opportunities for Filipino households and a cleaner environment are two benefits of every kilogram of plastic that is diverted.