By 2034, the world will produce 762 billion tonnes in plastic waste.
This should not come as a surprise because the daily global use of plastic contributes 1 million plastic bags to the trash every minute while only 15% of plastic waste is collected for proper recycling processes.
The “Circular Economy Strategy” has been increasingly deployed worldwide as the solution to the overwhelming slow-burn issue. Hence, PTT Global Chemical (GC) Public Company Limited, Thailand’s leading company delivering high-quality petrochemical and chemical products, has created circles to sustain the balance of industry and living quality.
Presided over by Varawut Silpa-archa, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, GC Circular Living Symposium 2020 was therefore launched for the second time to re-affirm PTT’s commitment to building a ‘better tomorrow’. To reduce concerns about the global environment it focuses on visions and waste management strategies for sustainability involving over 40 corporate leaders.
“The alarm about Covid-19 contamination has increased the burden off accumulated plastic waste,” remarks Dr. Kongkrapan Intarajang, Chief Executive Officer of PTT Global Chemical Public Company Limited, or GC. “PTTGC’s previous attempts involved creating awareness among various industrial influencers of circular economy principles as well as implementing experimental stages in resource management.”
As the leading petrochemical provider, PTTGC takes the lead in recycling by diverting plastic waste, including polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE), through highly invested pyrolysis thermal processes and specialists to create diesel fuel for fishing boats and farmer tractors as well as fuel for concrete production and solid components mixed into community roads with asphalt.
While recycling is the best solution for waste management, as it returns the materials to their original forms that can be used to produce totally new products, the process requires a large budget. Nevertheless, upcycling has been adopted the world over to re-purpose plastic materials into creative product adaptations.
“In joining forces with the country’s leading organisations, P&G and Habitat for Humanity, we have launched the first upcycling house in Thailand,” Dr. Kongkrapan revealed. “The house is constructed with wood composite comprising over three tonnes of HDPE Bottle and Multilayered Flexible Packaging collected from communities across the country. The houses are then donated to underprivileged locals in collaboration with Habitat for Humanity.”
However, the upcycling trend nowadays seems to offer no more than a band-aid, rather than a long-term fix for the pain points.
“Living a complacent lifestyle could endanger our environment and our lives and we can go on without realising the end is closer than we thought,” explains Varawut Silpa-archa, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment. “In adopting the concept of circular economy today, we must consider implementation beyond CSR projects for the coming generations.”
In achieving the vision of “short-term pain, long-term gain”, four gurus from different industries are contributing to PTT’s vision and implementation at GC Circular Living Symposium 2020. They are: Kasikorn Bank Director and Chief Executive Officer Kattiya Indaravijaya; Thai Union Group President and CEO Thiraphong Chansiri; Thai Beverage Public Company Limited President and CEO Thapana Sirivadhanabhakdi; and Dr. Kongkrapan Intarajang, Chief Executive Officer of PTT Global Chemical Public Company Limited.
Financial sector: Among other commercial banks, Kasikorn Bank focuses on loan approvals with creditors where enterprises are required to connect their business plan with environmental preservation measures.
Food sector: Thai Union Group strives to create awareness among suppliers in delivering fish in compliance with laws and regulations and supports the initiative with GPS and internet connections to ensure responsiveness to their needs when away from home and therefore increase security and occupation performance.
Beverage sector: In a collaboration with government and private sectors, Thai Bev has launched an upcycling campaign involving collecting plastic water bottles and transforming them into giveaway fabric bags as a means of creating awareness among communities in Thailand.
Co-operation with large industry moguls is fundamental to success but the most powerful stakeholders to help drive greater impact are consumers.
For more information and products on the Living in Circular Economy campaign please visit https://circularlivingsymposium2020-virtual.com/virtual.
