Watsons goes green

WATSONS is turning a new leaf with the opening of its first greener store, located in San Pedro, Laguna.

The wellness and beauty chain invited guests to a tour of the store on June 21. Alisandrea Coloma, Watsons Philippines Senior Manager for Sustainability, pointed out the details that made it a greener store.

First, the store is partially run with solar power, through solar panels on the roof. “You don’t see it, but it’s up there,” she said. The store earned a certification for its sustainability metrics in energy consumption from Pi Energy, Inc. “By utilizing solar panels, the store saves approximately 7.5 tons of CO2 emissions annually, equivalent to the CO2 absorption of around 377 trees annually,” said a statement.

Secondly, Ms. Coloma pointed out that the store’s collaterals and marketing materials no longer use plastic-based Sintra board — they have shifted to Solidus, made from sustainable materials. The display racks are also made of wood, and the store uses LED lights and inverter air conditioners and refrigerators.

Thirdly, they have set up a refilling station for their Naturals by Watsons line (bring them clean and empty containers to fill). The refiling station itself is made of recycled plastic. There’s also a bin where customers can bring their old beauty-product bottles, for which they are given a small reward. There’s also a big Sustainable Choices wall, where people can pick beauty products with more eco-friendly slants.

In a group interview about building the first greener store in Laguna, Ms. Coloma said: “San Pedro is really known for their commitment to sustainability… even before we started building this store, they already had very strong sustainability and trash disposal programs.”

On rolling out the concept to other areas, especially Metro Manila, she said, “This is something we want to roll out even more in other stores, to give the experience and bring it closer to customers.

“As a company (that) has over 1,000 stores around the country, we recognize that we have a commitment to influence our suppliers and our shoppers to become sustainable in the way they consume products,” she said. “It’s important for us to find ways to integrate sustainability into how we do our stores and how we do our operations.”

For more information about the Watsons Greener Store and its sustainability initiatives, follow @watsonsph on Instagram. — Joseph L. Garcia