Asiawide Refreshments Corporation recently earned recognition for its successful compliance with environmental standards from the Laguna Lake Development Authority at the LLDA-WB Annual Learning Forum and Public Disclosure of LGUs Environmental Governance and Industries Environmental Performance held in Ortigas, Pasig City.

The licensed manufacturer and distributor of RC Cola was the only company in the carbonated soft drink industry to receive a blue rating award, a system used by LLDA to monitor the environmental performance of local government units and industrial/ commercial enterprises, through its Public Disclosure Program.

The program aims to reduce air and water pollution from industries. The blue and green (the highest) ratings indicate that establishments meet LLDA's standard or surpass it. On the other hand, a red or black rating is given to organizations whose environmental efforts are inadequate or totally nil.
Asiawide Refreshments Corporation has received the blue rating for two consecutive years (2007-2008).

Embarking on green programs is nothing new to the company, which has been doing a lot of green projects and supporting initiatives such as tree planting every now and then.

A green treatment plan has been the company's main concern since it first started.

"Since 2002, when we were first building the plant, we already took that in consideration of the overall design. We completed it in 2003. As our market share grew and our production volume increase, our efforts with LLDA compliance became more intense,” said Butch Aves, the firm’s vice president for manufacturing/technical services.

Aves explained that the company plant, located in Antipolo, discharges water into a stream, which inevitably flows into Laguna de Bay.

"It is a necessary investment. If you want to be sustainable, you have to be environmental-friendly. The funds that are being used to operate the equipment are coming from the savings that we get. We are now more conscious and part of that consciousness translates into efficiency,” he said.