Thonburi Healthcare Group Plc (THG) is studying development of environmentally friendly medical packaging, such as medical plastic bags, as part of its goal to transform to a green hospital and lower carbon dioxide emissions.
THG teamed up with a petrochemical company to seek ways to make use of recycled plastics, potentially producing new packages for medicine.
“We aim to use green plastic packages, in line with carbon neutrality and net-zero campaigns,” said Nalin Vanasin, chief sustainability officer of THG.
Thailand announced in 2021 at the UN Climate Change Conference it would be more aggressive in addressing climate change, striving to reach carbon neutrality, a balance between carbon dioxide emissions and absorption, by 2050, and a net-zero target by 2065.
Ms Nalin said the company has not decided whether to use recycled plastics or biological materials to make medical packages. If biological materials are used, it adds value to agricultural products, increasing revenue for farmers.
The joint study will provide a clearer picture of potential raw materials, a development budget, production capacity and which THG hospitals will be selected to use the green products, she said.
THG is also interested in using garbage bags made from recycled materials, and is talking with a supplier about the issue, said Ms Nalin.
In the power sector, THG plans to install rooftop solar panels at its hospitals, with a goal to increase the proportion of renewable power usage to 20%, she said. The company also wants to use light-emitting diodes for the lighting system at hospitals to save energy.
In the transport sector, THG is transitioning from oil-powered cars to electric vehicles, promoting their use among staff and visitors by increasing the number of charging stations at its hospitals.
“Our net-zero target can be achieved by 2030,” said Ms Nalin, adding Thonburi Thawiwatthana Hospital is leading efforts to reduce greenhouse gases, beginning a campaign in 2022.