The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has partnered with Jollibee Foods Corporation for a plastic recycling program that aims to strengthen community engagement through rewards.

In a press conference at the MMDA headquarters in Pasig City on Tuesday, MMDA Chair Romando “Don” Artes said the Plastic Waste Recovery and Rewards Program would allow the public to exchange seven kilograms of plastic trash for a P100 Jollibee gift certificate.

“Through this initiative, residents are more empowered to collect and segregate waste, starting from their homes, with barangays having organized systems and the Integrated Solid Waste Management Facility (ISWMF) serving as the collection point,” Artes said.

The program seeks to strengthen the MMDA and Jollibee’s shared commitment to environmental management, community empowerment and sustainable development in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028.

“This collaboration between the MMDA and Jollibee Group is a testament to what can be achieved when the government and the private sector unite with a common purpose,” he said.

During the event, Jollibee executive Joseph Tanbuntiong said the program aligns with the company’s global sustainability program, “Joy For Tomorrow.”

“By partnering with the MMDA and our recycling partner, Greencycle, we're helping ensure that plastic waste collected from our communities is properly processed, recycled, and given new life. It is one way we can contribute to cleaner waterways, safer neighborhoods, and a more sustainable future for Metro Manila,” Tanbuntiong said.

Under the program, every kilogram of plastic waste will earn the participant 10 points, which will be recorded on their Barangay Reward Card.

For every 70 points accumulated in the card, participants may redeem a P100 Jollibee gift certificate.

Participants will bring their segregated plastic waste to their local women’s groups, community leaders, or designated barangay collection point.

Community leaders, in turn, will deliver the collected plastic waste to the materials recovery storage, where barangay representatives will weigh and record the volume in the barangay logbook.

The collected plastic waste will then be transferred to the ISWMF for re-weighing, verification, and storage until the collection of the recycling partner identified by Jollibee.

The project will initially cover 20 barangays in Vitas, Tondo, Manila, for six months.

It will later be extended to 36 barangays in the vicinity of Tripa de Gallina and Makati City to further increase household participation and plastic waste diversion.

The feasibility dry run of the project held in Vitas generated a total of 1,059 kilograms of plastic waste from February 10 to March 31, 2025.

MMDA PHOTO