Innovation

WeClean Philippines, a fully integrated laundry service provider, is a visionary zero-plastic and energy-efficient company that has 68 branches, which include Metro Manila, Palawan, Siargao, and other branches all over the country since 2017, and has catered to 30,000 customers. Driven by the desire to make sustainable laundry services accessible and affordable, WeClean Philippines offers a unique and innovative solution to address the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and create a sustainable and energy-efficient society. The core concept revolves around providing customers with a 30-degree wash for laundry, a sustainable practice that minimizes energy consumption. Traditional hot water washing consumes significantly more energy, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. By reducing their energy usage, WeClean Philippines contributes to SDG 7, which focuses on "Affordable and Clean Energy." The company employed the practices to achieve the goal, including targets related to energy efficiency and renewable energy sources.

WeClean Philippines' decision not to use plastic in its laundry operations is crucial to reducing plastic pollution. The company plans to use cassava eco-bags, an eco-friendly alternative to plastic. By opting for alternative, eco-friendly packaging or no packaging at all, they directly contribute to SDG 14, which focuses on "Life Below Water." This goal aims to conserve and sustainably use oceans, seas, and marine resources, including efforts to combat marine pollution.

As the Chief Marketing Officer highlights, "Our commitment is that in all the new branches that we are opening and in all of the islands, for example, in Siargao, in Palawan and so on, we are not using plastic in our operations, we really want to reduce the plastic pollution. In this case, plastic in the ocean is probably one of the worst things that can happen. And our commitment is very strong in that sense."

Aside from these practices, the company is also committed to environmental conservation, which is reflected in the company's overall commitment to eco-friendly laundry practices. This demonstrates its dedication to environmental conservation. By operating eco-consciously, WeClean Philippines indirectly contributes to several SDGs, including SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), which emphasizes sustainable resource management. Also, the company commits to providing decent work and economic growth (SDG 8) to the people in the community where the business is operating.

The company's initiative extends to promoting gender equality (SDG 5). The company started small and wanted to contribute to the community as its operations progressed towards worldwide success. The management aspires to encourage green practices. Not only this, WeClean Philippines also seeks to encourage ending all discrimination against women and girls, which is a fundamental human right and crucial for a sustainable future.

The Chief Marketing Officer stated, "First that we have been implementing since quite a long time. One of them will be gender equality." The company seeks to ensure equality in the spheres of work. When the interviewee was asked about its significance, he noted, "Because we know that in the Philippines, the female in the workforce is among the lowest in the mediation region; it is around 45 to 50 percent depending on the year. Moreover, the cap on labor force participation is among the widest and weakest."

Inspiration

WeClean's founder, Alfonso Bigeriego, works in construction and saw the business opportunity to enter the laundry service industry. It started with the block that is available for use and then expanded to various localities in the Philippines and other locations as well. The company's humble beginnings are the root of its environmental protection and energy conservation initiatives and provide work opportunities to the people in the community where the business operates. The management aspires to encourage green practices. Not only this, WeClean Philippines also seeks to encourage ending all discrimination against women and girls, which is a fundamental human right and crucial for a sustainable future.

As the interviewee highlighted, "The founder is Alfonso, who has been living in the Philippines for over eight years and is into the construction business. He decided to start a laundry business because it was easy to run and under it. It did not need much of his time, So It started like that in 2017, but soon, he realized there was also an opportunity and opportunity to catch up. The laundry needs of the Filipinos in a more technological way a better approach. Even better customer service."

The founder's motivation for starting WeClean Philippines is to create the change he envisions, especially in having a gender-inclusive and community-sustainable future.

Overall impact

WeClean Philippines' 30-degree wash concept has generated both short-term and long-term impact, substantially impacting energy conservation and promoting sustainable practices in the industry and the community. The company was innovative in using a 30-degree wash instead of hot water, which the traditional laundry businesses have been employing. The said processes have been a way to conserve energy and enable the company to contribute to the overall goal of energy conservation. The company also contributed to reducing plastic waste by employing eco-friendly alternatives to plastics.

The company also has a simple gesture that significantly impacts the environment. This is to render the laundry machines. The Chief Marketing Officer says, "A more straightforward impact is renewing our laundry machines; why? Because many of them were not, you know, and the energy consumption of those machines was over the top."

The company was also able to provide decent work to the people in the community as well as ensure gender equality in the community. Mr. Jorge García states, "At WeClean, we are proud that 85% of the company are women. We want to give opportunities to women and develop them in a professional way for them to have greater opportunities like men." It can be reiterated that the corporation's effort also promotes gender equality (SDG 5). The company started small and wanted to give back to the neighborhood as its activities expanded to achieve global success. The management wishes to promote environmentally friendly methods. Not only that, but WeClean Philippines believes that abolishing all forms of discrimination against women and girls is not only a fundamental human right but also essential for a sustainable future.

Business benefit

The business innovation that WeClean has incorporated poses business, societal, and environmental benefits. In terms of business and environmental benefits, the company's use of new machinery allows it to provide efficient and excellent service to customers while contributing to business innovation. Aside from this, as the company limits the use of plastics, it was able to contribute to lessening the environmental impacts of the business. Mr. Jorge states, "We have a partnership with a company that collects the plastics from us." The company uses eco-friendly plastic alternatives and continues its research on providing eco-friendly plastic alternatives.

WeClean Philippines positively changed the planet through environmentally friendly wash programs that allow water consumption to be reduced by 17%. The company also has an A++ energy rating.

WeClean employs and trains over 230 Filipinos, offering them and their families opportunities for development and poverty alleviation. It provides decent work to the people in the community.

Social and environmental benefit

WeClean Philippines is committed to getting involved in the community where they are operating. The company ensures to give back to society through various activities such as providing feeding programs to the children. This is on top of the livelihood and decent work environment it offers to the community members. The company ensures that the workers have adequate working conditions and safeguards the environment where the employees work.

As the company highlighted, most of their employees are women, constituting 85% of their workforce. This entails the company's unwavering support to the female members of the society. Through generating jobs for thousands of people and employment of programs that help community members, WeClean Philippines serves as the epitome of a business that ensures sustainability and inclusivity in the community. The company has 68 branches and is continuing to grow. The company has provided many people with opportunities to improve their lives and develop the lives of the people in their host community.

WeClean Philippines' eco-friendly washing methods, which enable a 17% reduction in water consumption, have positively impacted the environment. This is coupled with the business initiative towards lesser energy consumption through a 30-degree wash– doing away with the traditional use of hot water in the laundry. "And we are studying, for example, uh, offering cassava bags and other fabrics, we are still studying what will be the most suitable." says the Chief Marketing Officer. With this, it can be said that the company also continually seeks innovation, especially in plastic waste reduction and inventing plastic alternatives in the packaging. This entails the strong commitment of the company to achieving a sustainable future.

Interviews

Jorge García Oliver, Chief Marketing Officer

Jorge García Oliver, Chief Marketing Officer