What ‘sustainability’ means in wellness retail
From medical missions to volunteer activities, plastic-free delivery packaging, greener stores and more eco-friendly product choices, health and wellness company Watsons Philippines is ramping up its sustainability initiatives this 2024, with the aim of leading the charge in the industry in improving their impact on three of their key business pillars: people, products and the planet.
At a recent roundtable discussion, Watsons senior AVP for marketing PR and sustainability Sharon Decapia and senior marketing manager for sustainability Lexie Coloma shared the full breadth of their sustainability efforts for the year, at the center of which is their Sustainable Choices program. This initiative empowers customers to make environmentally conscious decisions by providing a thoughtfully selected range of products that meets stringent sustainability criteria.
By offering better packaging using reduced plastics, and promoting refill packs and ethically sourced ingredients, the Sustainable Choices program ensures that each item exemplifies the company’s dedication to reducing its environmental impact while prioritizing customer satisfaction.
Aside from being sustainable, products under this program are also budget-friendly, debunking the notion that sustainable has to be expensive.
“We want to let customers know that there is an affordable option, it doesn’t always have to be expensive, and educating them in such a way that is very relatable,” Decapia said.
This education goes both ways, in the sense that Watsons is also helping the brands that they carry become more aware of what they need to do to become more sustainable, which, as Decapia pointed out, doesn’t have to be done on a large scale outright.
“If you’re a small company, you can start with your own people, make sure they are treated fairly. Follow good operational practices, recycling; it starts with that,” Decapia added.
Holistic
This is another sustainability pillar that Watsons is heavily invested in: their people. The company makes it a point to provide a sustainable workplace through meaningful health and wellness activities for employees. They do this by engaging them in volunteer efforts, and, according to Decapia, they have been pleasantly surprised at how these activities—which all support the company’s third sustainability pillar, planet—have been very well-received across the company.“We have had tree planting in Antipolo, and they were so engaged, even if it was done on a weekend and out of their regular working hours,” she said. “We also do eco-tours, ocean clean-ups—activities that educate them on the environment.”
The company’s whole store experience is also becoming more sustainable, Decapia added. In the works is a Watsons “green store” that is designed to showcase best practices in environmental sustainability, through the use of more eco-friendly materials and solar power. Watsons’ green store is set to open in Laguna.
Focusing on employee mental health, Decapia said they are partnering with global mental healthcare support provider MindNation, so as to give Watsons employees access to tools that would help them assess their own mental well-being, and, if needed, seek professional help should they be facing larger issues.
“We have to make sure that our sustainability approach is holistic,” said Decapia.
Reduce, reuse, recycle
As with most companies, Watsons’ sustainability journey, said Coloma, started with corporate social responsibility efforts, which they continue to this day. They have a strong relationship with Operation Smile, which helps fund surgery for children with cleft palates. Watsons’ goal is to perform 3,300 corrective surgeries on children with cleft conditions in the Philippines alone by 2030.
There is also their ongoing partnership with Punlaan School through its scholarship program, which trains pharmacy assistants and gives them employment opportunities with Watsons. Last year, 30 students graduated from the program; Watsons aims to add 400 more this year.
Other ongoing initiatives include the “Reuse with Watsons: A Sustainability Art Exhibit,” which serve to amplify sustainable practices and the significance of the 3Rs—reduce, reuse and recycle—through artworks that integrate plastic bottles, wrappers, papers, carton boxes, tissues, blister packs, metals, makeup sponges, foams and other upcycled materials; and Alagang Pangkalusugan Medical missions, which provide free medical consultations, blood tests, bone screenings, hearing checks, skin and hair analyses, ECGs and X-rays.
“We’re not just doing these initiatives, we’re leading them. It’s part of our commitment to do better,” said Decapia. “To whom much is given, much is expected; we want to get what we need now, but we also want to make sure that future generations will be able to get what they need as well.” —Contributed INQ Watsons employees at the Do Good Eco Tour, where over 2,000 seedlings were planted —contributed photos
