First Gen Group, the country’s leading renewable energy company, has partnered with HMR Envirocycle Philippines, Inc. (HMR Envirocycle), a full-service electronic waste (e-waste) recycler, to implement a Lopez Group-wide campaign, called Drop IT for Good, for collecting discarded information technology or IT materials and other e-waste.
Launched on June 4, 2026, at the Rockwell Business Center in Pasig City, Drop IT for Good encourages employees not only from the First Gen Group but also from subsidiary companies, as well as their parent firm, First Philippine Holdings Corporation, to turn the disposal of IT waste into a shared act of responsible environmental stewardship.
The campaign invites thousands of Lopez Group employees to bring unused, broken, obsolete or discarded electronic devices and items to designated collection points for proper handling, recycling, and disposal. HMR Envirocycle, in turn, will support the responsible processing and recycling of the collected e-waste.
The launch featured a ceremonial e-waste drop-off, led by Shirley Cruz, First Gen vice president; Mercedes Lopez-Vargas, Lopez Group Foundation executive director; Dr. Rodel Lasco, Oscar M. Lopez Center executive director and concurrent lead for the Environment Cluster of the Lopez Group; and Emmanuel Cruz, Energy Development Corporation (EDC) environmental compliance and assurance analyst.
The participation of these officials from various Lopez Group companies underscored the shared commitment of the conglomerate to advance practical and collective environmental action. They launched the campaign to kick off also the month-long Lopez Group Envi Festival in observance of the Philippine Environment Month.
“Through this partnership with HMR Envirocycle, the First Gen Group aims to help keep e-waste away from landfills, waterways, and informal disposal channels, while promoting greater awareness of circular and responsible waste management,” Cruz said at the launch.
“Drop IT for Good reflects this broader commitment by making environmental action practical and accessible for employees,” Cruz added. “By providing workplace-based collection points and building awareness on proper e-waste disposal, the campaign turns sustainability from a broad commitment into an everyday choice.”
Cruz also explained during the launch the campaign mechanics, including the types of e-waste that may be brought to the designated collection points. She also bared the schedule and process for drop-offs; and the importance of the Lopez Group’s collective responsibility in disposing e-waste for a cleaner, safer and more sustainable future.
As part of the launch, Engr. Wilssie Sanchez of HMR Envirocycle also conducted a brief awareness talk for employees, where she explained the importance of ensuring the proper and responsible handling, recycling and disposal of end-of-life electronic gadgets and appliances.
According to Sanchez, old electronic items found at home or in the office — from old chargers and cables to unused gadgets, keyboards, batteries, and small electronic devices — can still pose environmental risks when improperly discarded. Through the campaign, employees are given a simple and accessible way to clear out e-waste while contributing to pollution prevention, circularity and environmental stewardship.
The campaign builds on the First Gen Group’s longstanding environmental advocacies, such as the Create for the Climate and BINHI programs.
The flagship Create for the Climate is one of the country’s sustained private sector-led environmental education programs designed to create climate awareness among young people; strengthen their long-term learning; train them in preparing practical climate action; and help them foster community resilience.
The BINHI project is the country’s largest private sector-led forest restoration initiative that supports as well biodiversity conservation and the protection of native tree species.
These efforts are anchored in First Gen’s leadership in clean and renewable energy, as the company continues to champion decarbonization while helping support a more resilient and just energy transition in the Philippines.
HMR Envirocycle is an environmental services and circular economy solutions provider that supports responsible e-waste management through proper handling, recovery, recycling, data security, asset disposition, and disposal services. Its work helps organizations manage used and end-of-life electronics in ways that support circularity and environmental compliance.
First Gen is a leader in renewable energy in the Philippines. It has 1,764 megawatts of renewable energy capacity from a power plant portfolio running on geothermal, hydro, wind and solar energy, as well as from battery storage systems. Through its clean energy portfolio and environmental programs, First Gen champions decarbonization and lends its supports for a resilient and just energy transition.
