AIS hosts “Sustainable Sustainability™: From Fail to Scale” with Mr Marty Metro

The Ateneo Institute of Sustainability (AIS) hosted a special hybrid symposium entitled “Sustainable Sustainability™: From Fail to Scale” last 18 November 2025 at the Escaler Hall. The keynote speaker was Mr Marty Metro, the Founder and CEO of UCBEnvironmental — a family of companies focused on Sustainable Sustainability™: good for the planet, great for business.

Under the UCBEnvironmental umbrella are UsedCardboardBoxes, UCBZeroWaste, UCBPalletSolutions, UCBTrading, and UCBOrganics, each tackling a different part of the waste and reuse ecosystem. Together, they help major brands like Best Buy, Dole, McCormick Spice, Walgreens, Walmart, Rolex and hundreds more companies find smarter ways to reduce waste, cut costs, and reuse resources.

The session started with a welcome remark from Dr Leland Joseph R Dela Cruz, Assistant Vice President for Social and Environmental Engagement for Development and Sustainability. He emphasized two key insights on why the topic is relevant to management students, who comprise one-third of the University’s student population. First, students must recognize that businesses can fail at the beginning, but “what’s important is to draw the lessons from early failures,” which can eventually lead to success. Second, it is essential to problematize sustainability and ensure that sustainability initiatives are truly designed to last and remain “sustainable” for the business.

Mr Metro then took the stage to deliver his keynote address. He shared that his entrepreneurial journey is essentially two stories of a green business: one where it failed, and one where it ultimately succeeded. After years in the corporate and consulting world, he launched his first venture in 2002—Boomerang Boxes—a buy-and-sell business for used shipping boxes sold at half the cost of new ones. The concept aligned with sustainability by promoting reuse and reducing the need to manufacture new boxes. However, the business struggled financially as operating expenses far exceeded revenues. After three years, he had to close it down.

In 2005, he realized the need to pivot by developing a profitable and scalable business model aligned with his eco-friendly vision. He continued buying and selling used boxes, but this time in bulk to increase profitability. He partnered with major companies like McCormick Spice, delivering consistent service and securing repeat business. Over time, he expanded his roster of partner brands and rebranded the company as UCBEnvironmental. Later, he applied the same concept of buying and selling to other forms of waste—such as food waste, barrels, drums, plastics, and pallets. With growing capital, UCBEnvironmental developed software that manages waste streams, generates analytics, and supports environmental reporting. Partner companies now use this platform for their Sustainability Performance Reporting. Twenty years later, his business is thriving, scalable, and sustainable.

In closing, Mr Metro shared key lessons from his entrepreneurial journey. First, success cannot be replicated; rather, it is failures that provide the lessons leading to success. Second, one must be discerning about others’ opinions and evaluate whether these truly align with and add value to business objectives. Third, “ideas are worthless” on their own—ideas only gain value when implemented. His talk was followed by an open forum, where onsite and online participants raised questions about the challenges of building a sustainable enterprise and maintaining an environmentally responsible business model.

The session was able to bring together students, mostly from the John Gokongwei School of Management, highlighting the relevance of sustainability to their studies and future careers. AIS will continue organizing events and symposiums for Ateneo students and the wider community, demonstrating that business and sustainable development can indeed coexist.