Global imaging solutions leader Canon believes one of its missions is to maximize the use of finite resources.

Canon Marketing Philippines, through its local partner Envirotech Waste Recycling, turns empty ink cartridges and other refuse into useful items such as school chairs.

“We at Canon strive hard to not just create superior imaging products and business solutions for our consumers and partners; we also innovate ways to deliver products and processes in a more eco-friendly manner,” said Canon Marketing (Philippines), Inc. president and chief executive Kazuhiro Ozawa.

Ozawa said the company is aware that their products may eventually end up in landfills. “As a global company, we are mindful of our environmental impact and take responsibility by implementing a closed-loop recycling system. We are proud to be the first company globally to recycle toner cartridges since 1990,” he added.

Canon believes that smart designs and recycling are some of the solutions in addressing global waste and resource issues. As such, they design products that are easier to reuse and recycle, which starts from the selection of materials down to limiting the types of plastics used.

In the manufacturing process, they practice a closed-loop recycling method where the byproduct of one process is used to make another product, thereby minimizing or eliminating waste altogether.

In Japan in the 1990s, the company pioneered the recycling of toner cartridges. Last year, it celebrated the 10th anniversary of Project Homecoming, a recycling program that allows people to properly dispose of their empty ink cartridges. To make it accessible for everyone, over 6,000 recycling bins were deployed across Japanese cities that resulted in 24 million cartridges being collected.

Canon wishes to replicate the success of Project Homecoming in the Philippines with the relaunch of its ink cartridge recycling program. Together with its local partner Envirotech Waste Recycling, Inc., the company plans to transform the collected refuse into usable items.

Collected cartridges will be given new life as new collection bins, effectively fueling the program’s expansion.

“Since we started the ink cartridge recycling program here in the Philippines only six years ago, we have collected 7,000 empty ink cartridges from consumers,” shared CMPI vice president Anuj Aggarwal.

He continued, “Our business partners have also been supportive. They have submitted for recycling 99 percent of the toner cartridges they purchased from us. In doing this, we hope to encourage everyone to be more conscious about the environment and to start practicing recycling.”

To meet its goal of collecting at least 30 percent more ink cartridges and 10 percent more toner cartridges, Canon is encouraging everyone to drop off empty ink cartridges (non-Canon cartridges are welcome, too) in recycling bins located in the following stores: Canon Customer Care Center in Commerce and Industry Plaza; Canon Image Square in SM Aura Premier; Canon D-Center in SM Megamall; Canon D-Zone in SM North Edsa; and Canon D-Zone in SM Mall of Asia.

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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 29) — More rains are coming as the state weather bureau expects the onset of the rainy season in two weeks.

“It is likely that the onset will be either during the first week of June or second week of June,” Flaviana Hilario, deputy administrator of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), said in a Malacañang media briefing Wednesday.

PAGASA is also expecting five to eight tropical cyclones hitting the country in June to August.

It forecasts normal amount of rainfall in June, except in most of the Ilocos region and the provinces of Apayao, Cagayan, Tarlac, and Zambales where there will be less rainfall. In July, most parts of Southern Visayas and Mindanao will experience below normal rainfall conditions, Hilario said. By August, generally normal to above normal rainfall conditions will be felt in most areas across the country.

Asked if the start of the wet season was delayed because of the El Niño or dry spell, Hilario said it still falls within the normal period.

She added there is “high probability” that the El Niño will be experienced until August this year, as earlier announced. It might even last until yearend.

“There is still a chance that (El Niño) will continue until the end of this year, 2019. However, the uncertainity is quite high,” Hilario said.

The Department of Agriculture pegged production losses due to El Niño at ?7.96 billion as of April 30. It has affected over 240,000 farmers from almost all regions across the country. Several areas were placed under state of calamity.

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In a bid to help lessen global warming and raise awareness about the environment, a Cebu-based startup developed a pencil that can grow into plants.

Eco Hub Cebu, the firm that innovated the plantable pencils, said one can grow plants from it by simply placing the stub on moist soil.

They said the product is no different to regular pencils, except that its tail end is a “gelatin capsule” that contains plant seeds instead of an eraser enclosed in a metal case.

The capsules of each pencil are preservative-free, non-genetically modified organism (GMO) allergen-free, and gluten-free.

The pencil, which is lead-free, is made up of sustainable wood, graphite, clay, and non-GMO seeds.

It also comes in variety namely tomato, sunflower, carrot, citronella seeds, and basil, which is their fastest growing plant, germinating between five to ten days after planting.

Eco Hub Cebu also offers other sustainable products such as reusable straws and utensils.

Source: news.mb.com.ph

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Granting the Labor Day request of President Rodrigo Duterte, Congress on Tuesday approved the measure seeking to strengthen the security of tenure of employees in the private sector and to put an end to contractualization.

This was after the House of Representatives adopted Senate Bill 1826 as an amendment to House Bill 6908.

The measure prohibits subcontracting out the same work contracted out by the employer.

It also seeks to limit job contracting to licensed and specialized services and classify workers into regular and probationary employees, treating project and seasonal employees as regular employees.

At the same time, if the contractor fails to pay the wages, allowances and benefits of his employees, the employer will be jointly liable with the contractor to the employees to the extent of the work performed under the contract.

Article 294, “Security of Tenure” of the Labor Code of the Philippines is also amended in order that in cases of regular employment, the employer will not terminate the services of an employee except for “just cause” or when authorized.

If illegal dismissal happens, the employee is entitled to immediate reinstatement even pending appeal and without loss of seniority rights and benefits.

Likewise, Article 295, “Regular Employment” of the Labor Code is amended defining a regular employee as one who has been hired for an indefinite period.

On May 1, Duterteurged Congress to pass bills protecting the rights of workers, particularly security of tenure and self-organization, as the country commemorates Labor Day.

“I remain optimistic that one year since I issued Executive Order No. 51, implementing existing constitutional and statutory provisions against illegal contracting, my counterparts in Congress will consider passing much needed legislative measures that will fully protect our workers’ rights, especially to security of tenure and self-organization,” he said in his Labor Day message.

The House approved its own version of the measure in January last year, but the Senate only passed theirs last Wednesday.

The Senate’s version was certified as urgent by Duterte.

Source: gmanetwork.com

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MANILA (UPDATE) – President Rodrigo Duterte has declared June 5 a holiday in observance of the Eid‘l Fitr, the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

“In order to bring the religious and cultural significance of the Eid’l Fitr to the fore of national consciousness, it is necessary to declare Wednesday, 05 June 2019, a regular holiday throughout the country,” a copy of the declaration signed by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea stated.

Eid’l Fitr marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan for Muslims.

LOOK: Palace declares June 5 a regular holiday in observance of Eid’l Fitr @ABSCBNNews pic.twitter.com/C6oamcmg3M

— Arianne Merez (@arianne_merez) May 29, 2019

Muslims make up around 6 percent of the Philippines 100 million people, where 8 in 10 are Catholic, according to official data.

Source: news.abs-cbn.com

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