Tela Tales: Stitching sustainability into the fabric of hotel operations

In an ocean of stories about sustainability, social entrepreneur Zarah Juan’s narrative, rich with purpose and passion, stands out like a brightly colored fabric in a sea of plain white cloth. Her mission goes beyond creating beautiful and functional bags; it’s about promoting a circular economy through recycling linens and providing sustainable livelihood opportunities for women.

Skyward dreams to earthly impact

It all began in the skies. In 2005, Juan was a flight attendant, soaring across continents with Northwest Airlines. Japan changed everything. Here, she discovered canvas bags—a simple yet impactful alternative to plastic. “It was a revelation,” she admits. “I knew I had to bring this idea home.”

Back in the Philippines, Juan took the idea further. Using katsa, or cheesecloth, she crafted her first ecobags. Demand soared.

Juan, now the Founder and Creative Director of the Zarah Juan brand and President of Green Leaf Ecobags Inc., started as a designer and product developer for SM.

With support from Elizabeth Sy, chairperson and president of SM Hotels and Conventions Corp. (SMHCC), Juan became a top supplier to Kultura and SM Department Store from 2007 to 2018.

A scholarship from the Swedish Institute Management program deepened Juan’s commitment to sustainability.

This experience solidified her ‘why’ and motivated her to refocus her business towards its original mission.

Today, the Zarah Juan brand stands on four pillars (LIFE): Livelihood, Innovation, Financial Sustainability, and Environmental Consciousness. Each letter in LIFE crafts a future where communities thrive alongside the planet.

Weaving a greener future: The story of Zarah Juan and Tela Tales

Juan’s vision expanded as she saw potential in discarded hotel linens.

SM Hotels and Conventions Corporation saw this vision. And so, Tela Tales was born, giving these used linens a second life.

Tela Tales was launched on World Recycling Day.

Yet, this initiative goes beyond mere recycling. It provides both an environmental solution and community upliftment.

“Transforming lives, one textile at a time” is the mission at the heart of Tela Tales. The initiative seeks to repurpose old linens and empower communities near SM properties by equipping women with skills and a source of income.

The revelation that SM hotels routinely update their linens every two to three years highlights the urgency and significance of the Tela Tales program. This practice, while ensuring quality and comfort for guests, generates a substantial amount of waste.

Tela Tales tackles this challenge head-on by converting these linens into fashionable, sustainable bags. These products will be offered at competitive prices, providing women with a dignified way to earn.

SMHCC partners with Bahay Kalingap, a home for abandoned elders with special needs in Tagaytay City, and with a group of unemployed women in Barangay Bulihan, Nasugbu, Batangas.

The project has recently expanded to a community in Iloilo, helping women from families relocated from the riverbanks of Iloilo.

For Juan, what began as a professional endeavor has blossomed into a deeply fulfilling life calling—a blissful career that merges her passion for design with the power to make a tangible impact.

“It has brought me immense joy to pursue design and creativity, to connect and collaborate with Filipino artisan communities, and, most importantly, to empower others,” reflects Juan.

Road to zero

At the Tela Tales launch, Leah Magallanes, SMHCC’s Vice President for Quality and Sustainability, unveiled the company’s journey towards sustainability in her presentation aptly named “SMHCC Road to Zero.”

She eloquently navigated through SMHCC’s commitment to the planet, highlighting how redefining ‘zero’ as a benchmark for environmental responsibility, social equity, and authenticity in sustainability efforts can be a change-gamer.

Magallanes also shared insights into the scale of their operations. With 10 hotels, six convention centers, and two trade halls, with more projects on the horizon, SMHCC recognizes the impact of its environmental and social footprint.

The weight of waste

Pulling back the curtain on the often-overlooked impact of hotel stays on the environment, Magallanes shared a startling statistic: each guest stay translates to one kilogram of waste.

With an eye on the future, she projected a staggering 2,600 tonnes of solid waste generated by SMHCC over the next five years.

This revelation served as a catalyst for deeper introspection within SMHCC, leading them to seek a more meaningful way to measure their environmental impact.

“What metrics do we need to see if we’re really making an impact?” Magallanes pondered aloud.

This question guided SMHCC to partner with Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) through the World Wide Fund For Nature Philippines (WWF-Philippines), adopting a science-based approach to objectively evaluate their initiatives’ effectiveness.

Together, they mapped out a path to net zero by 2040, a goal ambitious yet grounded in science and strategy. “Our activities do make an impact,” Magallanes asserts, a hint of pride in her voice.

“When they measured all our activities, we had already reduced our emissions by 70%.”

A quadruple strategy for net zero by 2040

SHMCC’s blueprint to net zero unravels across four fronts: energy conservation, water management, green procurement, and embracing a circular economy.

Energy conservation

Notable initiatives include the integration of smart room technology that optimizes electricity usage and the transition to LED lighting and inverter-type air conditioners, which have significantly reduced energy consumption across SMHCC properties.

“Did you know that setting the thermostat to 23 degrees Celsius strikes the perfect balance between guest comfort and energy efficiency?” she shared, highlighting the thoughtful measures contributing to a significant reduction in their energy footprint.

SMHCC reported that the hotel and convention centers have had an aggregated energy reduction of 40.15% per guest since 2019.

Water management

SMHCC is embracing the concept of recycling greywater—that’s wastewater from sources other than toilets and kitchens—and repurposing it in ways that significantly reduce its freshwater consumption. This greywater is treated and then cleverly used to flush toilets and irrigate the lush gardens on its premises. In locations where the properties are connected to SM malls, this treated water is diverted to the mall for flushing toilets.

The company’s sustainability extends to its air conditioning systems, where treated greywater is used as chilled water. Another example is at Pico de Loro, where they have turned to the sea for the resort’s water supply. Here, seawater undergoes desalination before it’s distributed for use across the property.

SMHCC has recycled a total of 414,789 cubic meters of water since 2019.

Green procurement

Greening the supply chain is necessary to achieve sustainable operations, shares Magallanes, emphasizing the important role of purchasing managers in seeking out and opting for eco-friendly products. This proactive stance led to the creation of an annual forum, an exchange of ideas where suppliers showcase their sustainable innovations to SMHCC.

Diving into the strategy, Magallanes outlines key activities, with engaging suppliers at the forefront. This approach does more than push suppliers towards sustainability; it signals a shift in industry standards.

“Last year, we started qualifying our suppliers,” Magallanes shares with evident pride. This rigorous process culminates in a sustainability seal, a badge of honor for suppliers who align with SMHCC’s environmental goals.

The emphasis on local purchasing and supporting micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) slashes the carbon footprint and nurtures local economies.

This commitment to local has led to remarkable culinary innovations that celebrate indigenous ingredients while promoting sustainability. Batuan ice cream from Iloilo and locally sourced lobster at Pico de Loro exemplify how local flavors can make a global impact, sidestepping the hefty carbon footprint associated with imports. The “Batangas Bulaloso” dish, a creative twist on bulalo (beef shank and marrow bones soup) and osso buco, highlights Batangas beef and has become a bestseller.

Through these efforts, the company’s partnership with MSMEs has flourished, growing from 500 partners in 2018 to 1,637.

Circular economy (waste management and recycling)

In a strategic move to close the loop on waste, SMHCC has teamed up with various forward-thinking suppliers.

Green Space wages war against food waste, diverting 198,640 kg of food waste from landfills to fertile grounds through the bokashi composting method.

They also installed Dunbrae Philippines’ Orca Biodigester in Taal Vista Hotel in July 2023, which has since converted 11,672 kg of food waste into compost.

SMHCC has also partnered with Vanson Paper Industrial Corp., Green Trident, and Poly Al Pro. Together, they turn what was once considered trash—paper, cardboard, bottles, plastic, and e-waste—into treasures like insulation materials, recycled bond paper, and eco-friendly boards. Through this collaboration, SMHCC has recycled 10,000 kg of paper waste and 2,000 kg of plastic waste.

As a result, they have achieved a 49% recycling rate for paper and a 44% rate for plastic.

The “Soap for Hope” project with Diversey Philippines has repurposed 253 kilos of used soap into new bars.

“The used soap is either donated to a community for them to use or the community can resell it for their own livelihood.”

This collaboration exemplifies the company’s broader commitment to a circular economy, where waste is not an endpoint but a beginning.

Empowerment and Equality

But sustainability isn’t just about the environment. For SMHCC, it’s embedded into the organization’s core values, which include embracing diversity, ensuring equal opportunities, and advocating for women empowerment.

“With 49 percent of our executives being female and 48 percent of our managers and senior managers also women, we’re proud to champion gender equality,” Magallanes reveals.

This commitment extends beyond gender lines, with an upcoming project aimed at empowering persons with disabilities, illustrating a holistic approach to inclusivity.

Training programs for all employees underscore SMHCC’s belief in nurturing talent, ensuring that every team member is equipped for success, both within the company and in their broader career trajectory.

A plateful of possibilities

With the unveiling of Tela Tales, we were treated to a sumptuous culinary experience dubbed “Plate for the Planet,” weaving a narrative of culinary creativity and sustainable possibilities.

Each dish celebrates locally sourced and hotel-grown ingredients, crafted by Taal Vista Hotel’s culinary experts. This initiative is part of SMHCC’s Sustainable Diner program, showcasing the company’s commitment to nurturing a circular economy. The program transforms food scraps into compost for the hotel’s gardens and then returns these nurtured ingredients to the table in a beautiful cycle of sustainability.

“Plate for the Planet” extends beyond mere gastronomy. It promotes healthy and eco-friendly dining, reduces waste, and significantly cuts down on the food industry’s carbon footprint. Through composting and repurposing food waste as farm fertilizer, it embraces a full-circle approach to food sustainability.

Our culinary journey began with an amuse-bouche of Arancini, crispy rice balls filled with a trio of Tagaytay mushrooms and kesong puti (white cheese) from Laguna, complemented perfectly by malunggay (moringa) pesto.

The salad course introduced Pansit Buco, a refreshing mix of coconut meat, cabbage, lettuce, carrots, and jicama served in a coconut shell, showcasing the versatility of local produce.

The main dish, Maliputo, featured poached freshwater trevally fillet, elegantly paired with Haricot verts, carrots, and leeks on a bed of roasted squash and potato puree, draped in a rich Normandy sauce, embodying the fusion of local flavors with classic techniques.

Photos by Rhea Vitto Tabora

Our meal concluded on a sweet note with Pavlova, a meringue that cradled a tangy calamansi custard, Chantilly, and pineapple calamansi compote, leaving us in awe of the delicate balance of flavors.

The sustainable lunch also featured a refreshing Blue Pandan Tea Mocktail crafted from Tsaa Laya’s vibrant blends. Tsaa Laya, SM’s sustainable partner, is a social enterprise working with relocated typhoon survivors in Calauan, Laguna, to produce caffeine-free herbal teas, supporting livelihoods and local farming.

Magallanes shares that “the launch of Tela Tales, complemented by Sustainable Diner, marks a significant milestone in SMHCC’s Sustainability journey. It is a testament to the company’s relentless commitment to move the needle one linen and one plate at a time.”