| TYPE OF PROGRAM: CSR and EPR
| START: October 2021
| STATUS: On-going
| TARGET: 1320 Metric Tons
| PARTNERSHIP SUMMARY:
“The CMA CGM-PLAF partnership demonstrates CMA CGM’s determination to fight plastic pollution; as well as seek better ways to protect our environment and drive fair trade.”
Involving community in plastic waste reduction
The Plastic Flamingo warehouse employees are using the hot press to fabricate the eco-boards—a product made of 100% recycled sachets.
CMA CGM Group is a global player in sea, land, air and logistics solutions. Their mission is to develop fair and more balanced economic exchanges, respectful of every human being and of the planet. The Group’s sustainable development is built around the strategic pillar of Acting for People, Planet and Fair Trade.
Sharing a vision for a sustainable world, the CMA CGM Group and The Plastic Flamingo joined forces in September 2021 to stop 120 metric tons of plastic wastes from entering the ocean in the Philippines. The customized Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program is primarily focused on the collection and recycling of plastic wastes.
To meet the plastic collection target, this has enabled PLAF to further strengthen its network of plastic collection points – mostly through the 230 and growing number of nationwide drop-off points –such as shops, schools, villages, offices and drop-off points where the public can easily drop used plastics. PLAF has also built partnerships with junk shops to deploy a sustainable programme encompassing incentives, education, and engagements for a long-term plastic waste reduction.
CMA CGM and CEVA Logistics employees based in Metro Manila also joined in the fight against plastic waste pollution as they deposit plastics in collection containers placed within the CMA CGM office and provide it the PLAF for upcycling.
In March, the PLAF, with the support of the CMA CGM Group, launched a new recycling line at the PLAF’s factory in Muntinlupa to upcycle the hard-to-recycle plastic sachet in the Philippines. This new line enables the PLAF to create and formulate its new product – the eco-boards. This eco-board is made from 100% recycled sachets, a type of plastic that dominates the landfill all the while posing a problem in terms of its recycling.
The CMA CGM-PLAF partnership also supports the employment of 12 local staff at PLAF’s factory, most of whom come from low-income households. Living on a low income can bring multiple stresses and restrict their basic development opportunities, the PLAF aims to increase their social impact by providing decent job opportunities to uplift them and their families out of poverty.
In June 2022, CMA CGM and the PLAF reached its milestone and successfully achieved its 120-metric ton plastic waste collection goal.
CMA CGM and the PLAF renewed a 3-year partnership on 15 September 2022 to collect and upcycle 600 metric tons of plastic wastes from the streets, coastlines and the heavily plastic polluted River Pasig in Metro Manila. This marks an annual plastic collection of 200 metric tons, up from 120 metric tons that the CMA CGM-PLAF partnership blocked from leaking into the ocean in 2021.
We are proud to share that for the 1st quarter of 2024, more than 80 metric tons of plastic wastes have been collected.
CMA CGM and the PLAF are on their way to achieving the target collection of 600 metric tons by 2025!
Accounting for and responsibly managing collected plastic waste after collection
The renewed partnership adds resources to PLAF’s capacity to collect and upcycle riverine plastics which require more rigorous cleaning and handling to separate them from marine debris before the upcycling process. With this, riverine plastics joins the hard-to-recycle plastic sachets on the CMA CGM-funded recycling line to be transformed into eco-boards. As PLAF markets these products that are used to build shelters and furniture, the social enterprise is widening its product range to stimulate market demand for recycled plastic products; and enhance the circular plastic economy.
The two-prong approach in mitigating river and land-based plastic pollution – i.e. by collecting and upcycling - demonstrates the two partners commitment to account for and responsibly manage the plastics retrieved from the environment.
Continuing to create employment and involve community in plastic waste reduction
As the CMA CGM-PLAF collaboration further reduces plastic pollution, it continues to generate the important income source for PLAF’s network of shops and waste collectors; and support local employment at PLAF’s factory in Muntinlupa.
The PLAF will now also involve the community in retrieving plastics from the coastlines. Other land based used plastics can be deposited at collection points such as shops, schools, villages, offices and accessible drop-off points. CMA CGM and CEVA Logistics employees based in Metro Manila are also contributing their used plastics at their offices and warehouses where the PLAF regularly picks them up to its upcycling factory.
From Plastic Waste to School Chairs: CMA CGM and The Plastic Flamingo Donate 500 Recycled Chairs to Parañaque Public Schools
The CMA CGM Group and donated 500 school chairs made from 10,000 kg of recycled plastic waste to three public schools in Parañaque, marking Global Recycling Day.
The chairs were distributed to Marcelo Green High School, San Antonio National High School, and Masville Senior High School. A donation ceremony was held today at Marcelo Green High School, where 300 students received chairs with integrated desks designed to improve daily learning conditions.
Prior to the donation, many students attended classes using damaged chairs without desks, often writing on their laps. The recycled chairs aimed to address this gap while demonstrating how plastic waste can be repurposed into durable school furniture.
Alongside the donation, students at Marcelo Green High School also participated in a learning session that raised awareness about how plastic pollution fuels climate change and empowering them as part of the solution. By showing how discarded plastic can be transformed into classroom furniture, the session aimed to make environmental responsibility more relatable to students.
The chair donation is part of a continuing partnership between CMA CGM and The Plaf focused on plastic recovery and upcycling.
Since 2021, the partnership has supported the collection and upcycling of 720 metric tons of ocean-bound plastic. In November 2025, the partnership was renewed for an additional three years, allowing the program to continue in the Philippines while expanding waste collection to Cambodia. Under the renewed agreement, The Plaf will collect and recycle an additional 600 metric tons of plastic waste by 2028. Since the renewal 73 metric tons of plastic waste have already been collected in the Philippines.
Comprehensive Environmental and Social Commitments
Under the partnership, CMA CGM and The Plaf have committed to several key initiatives:
Donation of 1,500 recycled school chairs to public schools in Parañaque between 2025 and 2028 (500 chairs per year)
Installation of four recycling bins at the Las Piñas–Parañaque Wetland Park
Support for sustainable livelihoods for local waste collectors
Stable employment for 50 workers at The Plaf's upcycling facility in The Philippines
The school chairs are locally produced by The Plaf using plastic waste collected through a network of over 300 collection points, including schools, communities, shops, offices, and junk shops. This approach directly supports local communities while promoting environmental awareness and responsible waste management practices.
T Sivakumar, General Manager of CMA CGM Philippines said, “This initiative reflects a long-term commitment we have made with The Plaf to addressing plastic pollution in a practical way while responding to actual needs in public schools. By linking waste recovery to education infrastructure, we hope to create benefits that are both environmental and social.”
“This initiative embodies our vision of a circular economy where waste becomes a resource,” said François Lesage, Founder of The Plaf. “Every chair tells a story of transformation, from plastic pollution to quality education infrastructure. We are proud to partner with CMA CGM to create lasting positive impact in Filipino communities.”
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