Camilla Edvinsson from Stockholm City Royal Seaport explaining to the delegation how Envac works. Envac is an underground vacuum waste collection system.
A delegation of Philippine national and local government officials has completed a week-long study visit to Sweden and Denmark, aiming to advance the country’s circular economy agenda. The visit was organized by the Nordic embassies in the Philippines, with support from the Nordic Council of Ministers.
Participants included representatives from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), and the City Government of Pasig. The delegation was welcomed in Stockholm by Philippine Ambassador to Sweden, Patrick Chuasoto, who emphasized the opportunity to learn from Nordic countries’ longstanding commitment to sustainability.
According to a pressrelese from the organizers, the study visit allowed delegates to benchmark best practices in areas such as extended producer responsibility, deposit return systems, and waste and wastewater management. Among the technologies and solutions showcased were Envac’s underground vacuum waste collection system, Scania’s biogas-fueled vehicles, and Recoma’s PackWall — an innovation that repurposes discarded packaging into construction boards.
The itinerary included visits to notable facilities such as Amager Bakke (Copenhill) in Copenhagen—a waste-to-energy plant integrated with a ski slope — and Stockholm’s Sjöstadsverket Water Innovation Centre, a global leader in wastewater research. In Norway, the delegation tried out TOMRA’s reverse vending machines by returning beverage containers at a local supermarket.
The visit also highlighted the importance of smart waste collection systems at the city level, particularly in Copenhagen and Stockholm. Delegates noted how Nordic countries combine technology deployment with community engagement and cross-sector collaboration.
“The Nordic study visit showcased how innovation, policy, and community engagement seamlessly converge to drive sustainable urban transformation,” say DOST representatives.
From left: Dr. Francis Baleta, S&T Fellow, DOST-Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development; John Macneil Mendoza, Trade and Public Diplomacy Officer, Royal Danish Embassy Manila; Atty. Bernice C. Mendoza, Executive Assistant V, Office of the City Mayor of Pasig; Engr. Noel Ajoc, Regional Director, DOST Regional Office XIII; Allendri B. Angeles, City Government of Pasig Department Head II, Solid Waste Management Office and Officer-in-Charge, City Environment and Natural Resources Office; Dr. Rico Cabangon, Director, Forest Products Research and Development Institute, Department of Science and Technology; H.E. Patrick Chuasoto, Philippine Ambassador to Sweden; Giselle Yap, Senior Trade Promotion Officer, Embassy of Sweden Manila; Atty. Ivy Joyce De Pedro, Head of the Compliance Monitoring Committee of the interim National Ecology Center (EPR implementer), Department of Environment and Natural Resources; Engr. Romelen Tresvalles, Regional Director, DOST National Capital Region; Dr. Annabelle Briones, Director, Industrial Technology Development Institute, Department of Science and Technology.
Pasig City officials underlined the importance of civic education and institutional support alongside infrastructure investments.
“Nothing is truly unaffordable if industries, civil society, and the academe have a unified vision of the common good, and are willing to invest in it,” they said, pointing to the role of public-private partnerships and non-profits in Denmark and Sweden.
The visit follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding in December 2024 between the Nordic embassies and the City of Pasig to promote circular economy collaboration.
