SM Supermalls: 30 years of building a sustainable future for communities

Since the first Shoemart store in 1958, customer convenience and comfort have been the utmost focus of the SM retail experience. As the business expanded to department stores, supermarkets, and eventually shopping malls, its stakeholders grew from customers to include tenants, employees, and the communities it serves.

SM City Santa Rosa's solar photovoltaic (PV) system generates enough clean energy to power over 2 million mobile phone chargers.

Sustainability is not a magic potion, but rather a series of small steps achieved through investment in technology and development of new techniques. Since opening its first mall, SM City North Edsa, in 1985, well before sustainability became a buzzword, SM embraced sustainable practices out of necessity. To maintain comfort and convenience for shoppers with uninterrupted air-conditioning systems, electricity, and water supply, a focus on energy efficiency and water conservation was essential.

Pioneering sustainable solutions

Initially, solutions focused on physical architecture such as better insulation and leak prevention. SM Supermalls soon embraced advanced technologies, investing in water recycling systems in 1998, Air Conditioning (AC) inverters in 2000, and rooftop solar in 2014. These efforts transformed from necessity to responsibility, making SM Supermalls the most energy-efficient mall group in the country with standard features like Light-Emitting Diode (LED) lighting and motion detector escalators.

The largest solar panel system of SM Supermalls in SM City Santa Rosa has recently received a Certificate of Compliance by the Energy Regulatory Commission.

SM Supermalls now sources over 50% of its electricity from renewable sources, with plans to increase this as the national renewable supply grows. To overcome land and capital challenges, solar rooftop panels are installed across most malls, reducing the need for converting land into solar farms and helping mitigate public electricity supply issues.

Water stewardship

SM Supermalls' Rainwater Project by SM Cares wins bronze at the 2024 Asia Pacific Tambuli Awards, recognized for transforming rainwater into potable water and promoting environmental responsibility.

A drop of innovation makes a wave of change! SM Cares' Rainwater Project for SM Supermalls wins bronze at the prestigious 2024 Asia Pacific Tambuli Awards for turning rainwater into safe drinking water, showcasing SM's commitment to sustainable water management. Beyond rainwater harvesting, SM champions responsible water use across all its malls, utilizing a recycling system to repurpose used water for cleaning, landscaping, and toilets.

SM Supermalls' Senior Vice President for Operations Bien Mateo, Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, and SM Supermalls' Senior Assistant Vice President for Operations - North Luzon Janssen Pe drink the now-potable rainwater collected by the rainwater treatment facility in SM City Baguio.

Pioneering new water management solutions, over 30 malls, particularly in flood-prone areas, have implemented rainwater harvesting systems. In 2023, SM City Baguio achieved a breakthrough by integrating its water recycling system with rainwater harvesting, successfully treating rainwater into safe drinking water. This innovation holds immense potential for replication across other SM malls, highlighting a sustainable future for water usage.

With climate change and frequent water shortages as water evaporates from reservoirs during the dry season, SM Supermalls is exploring ways to store water from its rainwater harvesting systems for reuse during the dry season, helping to prevent water shortages in the municipal system.

Turning waste into resources

Engineering Design and Development Corporation (SMEDD) President Hans “Chico” Sy Jr. (second from right), SM Supermalls’ President Steven Tan (right), SM Supermalls’ Vice President for Corporate Compliance Liza Silerio (left), and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Undersecretary for Policy, Planning, and International Affairs Jonas Leones (second from left) press the green light to launch the SM Waste-Free Future initiative at SM Mall of Asia recently.

Recently, SM Supermalls and SM Prime embarked on their next sustainability journey with the #SMWasteFreeFuture program. This program simplifies waste segregation into three categories: Recyclables, Disposables, and Compostables (RDC). The program seeks solutions to recover all three waste categories and give them new life as materials used in our daily lives, thereby reducing reliance on landfills.

The easy-to-follow “Recyclable, Disposable, and Compostable” (RDC) system helps divert waste from landfills, keeping our environment cleaner.

Earlier this year, SM Prime formed a joint venture with Japanese waste processing firm GUUN Co., Ltd., which converts Disposable waste into industrial fuels. SM is also embarking on mechanical composting to complete the full RDC waste management solution. This way, Recyclables (R) can return as a bottle or a box, Disposables (D) can be used as fuel to run industrial processes, and Compostables (C) can be turned into fertilizer for creating new gardens.

Looking ahead

SM Supermalls continues its focus on continuous improvement and innovation, a journey fueled by learnings from its transition to sustainability. Every small success is a big win, and every big win is an opportunity to replicate. This is reflected in all new malls under development, which incorporate water recycling and rainwater harvesting installations. Additionally, all existing malls are being optimized to meet an energy efficiency standard, and solar installations are implemented on rooftops whenever possible.

To know more about these sustainability initiatives, follow @SMSupermalls on all social media platforms. (SM Supermalls)