The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
The Lasallian Earth Day (LED) continues its mission to raise awareness for environmental protection as it reminds communities to lead an eco-friendly and sustainable lifestyle.
This is observed every first Friday of each month.
Launched in 2013 by the De La Salle Philippines-Lasallian Institute for the Environment, the LED aligns with its Project Carbon Neutral. It is a program that has shifted the school towards using energy-efficient materials in order to reduce carbon emissions that contribute to global warming.
The De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde has implemented several sustainable practices across all its campuses. These include experiential and educational activities, such as tree-planting programs and waste segregation campaigns using color-coded trash bins.
Through the Center for Built Environment and Logistics (CBEL), the college ushers in the new year with a commemoration of Zero Waste Month under Presidential Proclamation No. 760 Series 2014, an advocacy that promotes the design and management of products to minimize waste and reduce toxicity.
“As the New Year begins, we have the opportunity to reflect on our role as responsible stewards of God’s creation,” Benilde CBEL Director Alma Yango noted. “This moment fills us with hope and encourages us to commit to meaningful changes.”
Yango encouraged the community to embrace a sustainable lifestyle, where discarded materials are repurposed as valuable resources, and continue to support the recycling initiative of the college.
Benilde has also instituted a complete ban on all types of single-use plastics, to include bags, cutlery, plates, cups, straws, stirrers, and bubble wraps. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles and plastic lid containers are highly discouraged inside the buildings.
Students, professors, and associates are urged to utilize their own reusable containers. They are enjoined to embrace healthier food options that may incline them to prepare homemade snacks and beverages. The thrust has hopes to decrease their dependence on processed and packaged meals.
“Each of us can spark positive action in our daily lives, whether by simply picking up litter, doing recycling activities, or having a sustainable lifestyle,” she stated. “These simple acts can create a ripple effect, transforming our communities and inspiring others to do the same.”
Recyclable materials may be donated every first Friday of the month at the following drop-off points: the Miguel Febres Cordero Building, Design + Arts Campus, Atrium @ Benilde, and the Angelo King International Center.
Through this project, 13,078 kilograms of recyclable waste have been gathered from September 1, 2024 to December 30, 2024. These were turn over to a private recycler company for P65,779.
Last school year, the college was able to collect 25,978.50 kilograms of recyclable waste from September 2023 to August 2024, which was sold for P81,494.00.The proceeds will be continually used to provide more opportunities to Benildean scholars.