Universal Robina Corporation’s (URC) Thailand office has stepped up its sustainability efforts with “URGreen Upcycling Uniform Campaign.” The regional subsidiary’s campaign promotes the recycling of PET plastic bottles into uniforms, highlighting the importance of reducing carbon emissions and combating global warming.
The URGreen Upcycling Uniform Campaign aims to reduce CO2 emissions by 1.714kg per shirt. Each uniform shirt is made from 14 recycled 600ml PET water bottles, which were collected from January to April 2024. URC Thailand collected a total of 21,000 plastic bottles to be turned into polo shirts.
By June, a total of 1,500 shirts were produced and distributed to employees. The reduced CO2 emissions for all shirts amounted to 2,571kg CO2e, which is equivalent to planting 215 trees.
URC Thailand employees also actively participated in the design process, and in the end, the design of Vichida Pengnum URC Thailand’s (Senior Employee Relations Supervisor) was chosen for the company polo. To celebrate diversity and creativity, a fashion show was held for the employees to proudly showcase the new uniforms.
Looking ahead, URC Thailand is keen to continue this initiative to further contribute to the reduction of plastic wastes and carbon emissions. It aims to produce an additional 4,800 shirts in the future, which require 67,000 recycled plastic bottles.
Sustainable fashion is resonant to URC, both in its local and international arms. Last year, URC Flour had its own upcycling initiative where it partnered with local brands AraPilak and Aecovas Apparel to produce eco-friendly clothing using recycled cotton sacks.
In the Philippines, URC produces iconic brands such as Great Taste, C2 Cool & Clean, Piattos, Maxx candy and Cream-O cookies, which have been part of Filipinos’ lives for decades. One of the country’s largest food and beverage manufacturers, URC also has significant, and growing, presence in ASEAN. Its leading regional brands include Lexus, Tivoli and Fun-O.
