Insider Spotlight
The campaign, which took effect on June 1, 2026, includes a P1 charge for every paper bag requested at checkout across all Watsons stores nationwide.
The health and beauty retailer said the initiative is designed to promote more sustainable shopping habits by reducing reliance on disposable bags.
The move follows the company's earlier phaseout of plastic shopping bags and marks another step in its environmental sustainability efforts.
Why it matters
Retailers are increasingly looking for ways to reduce waste generated by everyday consumer activities. Watsons is betting that small behavioral changes, such as bringing reusable bags, can collectively help lower paper consumption and reduce waste ending up in landfills and waterways.
“Thousands of shoppers visit Watsons for health and beauty essentials daily. By introducing BYOB, we want to encourage a simple shift in behavior. We want to make bringing reusable bags or putting smaller items in their bags a part of the shopping routine,” Watsons Philippines managing director Danilo S. Chiong said in a press statement.
“Small choices like this may seem insignificant on their own, but we are actually helping reduce paper waste that ends up in our landfills and clogs waterways,” Chiong said.
The bigger picture
Beyond the environmental benefits, the paper bag initiative also supports Watsons’ Give A Smile Program, a long-running partnership with Operation Smile Philippines. The company said all proceeds collected from paper bag purchases will be donated to the program.
Since 2013, the initiative has provided cleft care and treatment to 2,689 Filipino children. Watsons said every peso raised through paper bag purchases will help expand access to surgeries and treatment for more children nationwide.
Watsons currently operates more than 1,200 stores in the Philippines and is part of A.S. Watson Group, which runs over 16,900 stores across 30 markets globally. —Vanessa Hidalgo | Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
