Sustainability Awards 2024: Celebrating another year of sustainability excellence towards our purposeful transformation

This year, the annual Sustainability Awards was celebrated in grand fashion at The Westin Manila last July 17, 2024. The night’s festivities were joined in person by sustainability leaders and colleagues from across the business units as the event culminated this year’s Sustainability Month celebration.?

The Sustainability Awards aims to recognize the triumphs of individuals, facilities, and plants in their pursuit of sustainability excellence and their contributions in driving URC towards our ambition of becoming a Sustainable Global Enterprise, specifically in the aspects of Quality, Efficient Resource Management, and Safety, Health, and Well-being.??

Now in its second year as a face-to-face celebration, the event has steadily evolved and grown in grandeur. Anchored on the theme, "Integrate to Elevate: Zero as the Nexus for Sustainable Business" (Zero defects and food safety incidents, zero accidents, zero emissions, zero waste), the night was filled with recognition and rewards for plants integrating sustainability into every aspect of its operations. Using "zero" as the focal point for sustainable business practices, the event rallied all stakeholders as safety, health and quality champions and stewards of the environment.?

Awards were presented in three different categories – the LIFE Excellence in Safety, PEARL Excellence in Quality, and GREEN Excellence in Environment – with a variety of category recognitions and the category Excellence Awards. Above all, is the most coveted and prestigious award dedicated for acknowledging excellence in all three categories, namely – the Sustainability Excellence Award.?

This year, we have received a total of 47 entries from all Business Units across these categories.?

The winners for each category were awarded trophies, plaques, and their corresponding cash prizes. Additionally, finalists for each award were also presented, making sure that no effort from our colleagues went unnoticed.??

Below are this year’s winners for the subcategory and category excellence awards:?

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LIFE Excellence in Safety?

LIFE Excellence in Safety Award is given to a facility or plant that has achieved exemplary performance for Safety.?

Best Safety Officer Award is given to recognize the contributions of a safety leader in fostering a culture of health and safety in the workplace??

Category Awards?

Best in Leadership and People Engagement Award is given to recognize how leaders embody safety in the plant and how the employees are engaged in developing a culture of safety in the workplace.?

Best in Information, Education, and Communication Award is given to recognize how the plant empowers its workforce through timeliness and availability of safety-related information, safety training, and awareness.?

Best In Facilities and Infrastructure Safety Improvement Award is given to recognize how the plant improved the physical working conditions to make the workplace safe and healthful through correction of unsafe conditions.?

Best In Effective Safety Processes and Systems Award is given to recognize how the plant has documented and implemented a safety management system that has a positive and effective impact in operations, and how it uses data and information to support key safety processes, utilize its resources for legal compliance, and drive continuous improvement.?

PEARL Excellence in Quality?

PEARL Excellence in Quality Award is given to a Plant that has embedded a Quality Culture which resulted in the achievement of exemplary performance for Quality and Food Safety.?

Best Quality Assurance Head is given to recognize the contribution of quality leader in demonstrating commitment to quality, food safety and compliance.?

Category Awards?

Brand Quality Seal Award is given to recognize a plant's commitment and its successful efforts to continuously deliver high quality and food safe products ensuring customer satisfaction. ?

Globe Excellence Award is given to a plant which drives for global excellence and continues to maintain its commitment to its stakeholders through their continued pursuit to adhere with internationally-recognized quality and food safety standards and compliance to relevant regulation and legal requirements. There is timely and effective closure of gaps and nonconformances, which ensures the continuity of its business operations and the delivery of quality and food safe products.?

Quality Lens Award is given to a plant showing strong commitment and enduring efforts in promoting continual improvement and operational sustainability through people engagement and empowering quality culture at the workplace.?

The Flask Award is given to a plant for valuing integrity through the provision of accurate quality results and sustainable performance through a proficient team and safe laboratory environment.?

GREEN Excellence in Environment?

GREEN Excellence in Environment Award is given to a facility or plant with high optimization and responsible resource management in terms of energy and water consumption, waste management, and environmental compliance?

Best Pollution Control Officer Award is given to recognize the contribution of an environmental leader in fostering environmental stewardship and implementing effective environmental management systems?

Category Awards?

Best in Waste Management Award is given to recognize the plant's waste management initiatives to manage waste and reduce its generation while ensuring that it does not end up in landfills as well as waterways?

Best in Water Management Award is given to the plant with efficient water management considering water operational cost, stability of supply, compliance to government standards, and overall business continuity.?

Best in Energy Efficiency Management Award is given to the plant with improved energy performance through implementation of sustainable energy conservation programs, elimination of waste to improve energy efficiency, continuous technical innovation, and administration of proper and effective training of personnel at all levels of the organization.?

Best in Nature Protection Award is given to recognize the plant's efforts and initiative in protecting our finite natural resources.?

However, while top performers amongst our colleagues were awarded in each category, unfortunately entries fell short in meeting the criteria to attain this year’s Sustainability Excellence Award. The esteemed award was last won in 2021 and has not been won again since, solidifying its reputable status as the pinnacle of sustainability excellence.??

As we continue to transform our business, the elusiveness of the Sustainability Excellence Award poses both a challenge and inspiration in pursuit of our mission of championing sustainability.?

We congratulate all the finalists and winners for their efforts in making this event a success.?

We also give our sincerest thanks to all the entries, the Screening and Awarding Committee, the Organizing Committee, suppliers, and our dear colleagues who have contributed to the success of this celebration.?

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Live Sustainability. Live URC.?