Supporting a Circular Economy in Thailand
Dow has launched a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in Rayong Province, Thailand, marking the country's first community-owned enterprise for high-quality plastic waste recovery. The facility, opened in 2023, aims to prevent over 1,000 tons of plastics and materials from entering landfills annually and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2,400 tons of CO2eq per year.
The initiative, funded through Dow's Business Impact Fund and the Thai government, focuses on waste management, plastic packaging recovery, and material transformation. The project has created four full-time jobs and provides income opportunities for local communities through recyclable waste sales and upcycled products. The MRF involves collaboration with multiple Thai partners, including the Thailand Institute of Scientific and Technological Research, Plastics Institute of Thailand, and local government bodies.
Dow ha lanciato un impianto di recupero materiali (MRF) nella provincia di Rayong, in Thailandia, segnando la prima impresa comunitaria del paese per il recupero di rifiuti plastici di alta qualità. L'impianto, aperto nel 2023, mira a prevenire l'ingresso di oltre 1.000 tonnellate di plastica e materiali nelle discariche ogni anno e a ridurre le emissioni di gas serra di 2.400 tonnellate di CO2eq all'anno.
L'iniziativa, finanziata attraverso il Business Impact Fund di Dow e dal governo thailandese, si concentra sulla gestione dei rifiuti, sul recupero degli imballaggi in plastica e sulla trasformazione dei materiali. Il progetto ha creato quattro posti di lavoro a tempo pieno e fornisce opportunità di reddito per le comunità locali attraverso la vendita di rifiuti riciclabili e prodotti riciclati. L'MRF prevede una collaborazione con diversi partner thailandesi, tra cui l'Istituto Thailandese di Ricerca Scientifica e Tecnologica, l'Istituto della Plastica della Thailandia e enti governativi locali.
Dow ha lanzado una Instalación de Recuperación de Materiales (MRF) en la provincia de Rayong, Tailandia, marcando la primera empresa comunitaria del país para la recuperación de residuos plásticos de alta calidad. La instalación, inaugurada en 2023, tiene como objetivo prevenir la entrada de más de 1.000 toneladas de plásticos y materiales en vertederos cada año y reducir las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero en 2.400 toneladas de CO2eq por año.
La iniciativa, financiada a través del Business Impact Fund de Dow y del gobierno tailandés, se enfoca en la gestión de residuos, la recuperación de envases de plástico y la transformación de materiales. El proyecto ha creado cuatro empleos a tiempo completo y ofrece oportunidades de ingresos para las comunidades locales a través de la venta de residuos reciclables y productos reciclados. El MRF involucra la colaboración con múltiples socios tailandeses, incluidos el Instituto Tailandés de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica, el Instituto de Plásticos de Tailandia y entidades gubernamentales locales.
Dow는 태국 라용주에 재료 회수 시설(MRF)을 개설하여 고품질 플라스틱 폐기물 회수를 위한 최초의 지역 사회 소유 기업을 시작했습니다. 2023년에 열린 이 시설은 매년 1,000톤 이상의 플라스틱 및 재료가 매립지에 들어가는 것을 방지하고 연간 2,400톤의 CO2eq 온실가스 배출을 줄이는 것을 목표로 하고 있습니다.
이 이니셔티브는 Dow의 비즈니스 임팩트 기금과 태국 정부의 지원을 받아 폐기물 관리, 플라스틱 포장 회수 및 재료 변환에 중점을 두고 있습니다. 이 프로젝트는 4개의 정규직 일자리를 창출했으며, 재활용 가능한 폐기물 판매 및 업사이클링 제품을 통해 지역 사회에 소득 기회를 제공합니다. MRF는 태국 기관인 태국 과학 기술 연구소, 태국 플라스틱 연구소 및 지방 정부와의 협력을 포함합니다.
Dow a lancé une installation de récupération de matériaux (MRF) dans la province de Rayong, en Thaïlande, marquant la première entreprise détenue par la communauté du pays pour la récupération de déchets plastiques de haute qualité. L'installation, ouverte en 2023, vise à empêcher plus de 1 000 tonnes de plastiques et de matériaux d'entrer dans les décharges chaque année et à réduire les émissions de gaz à effet de serre de 2 400 tonnes de CO2eq par an.
Cette initiative, financée par le Business Impact Fund de Dow et le gouvernement thaïlandais, se concentre sur la gestion des déchets, la récupération des emballages plastiques et la transformation des matériaux. Le projet a créé quatre emplois à temps plein et offre des opportunités de revenus pour les communautés locales par le biais de la vente de déchets recyclables et de produits surcyclés. Le MRF implique une collaboration avec plusieurs partenaires thaïlandais, y compris l'Institut thaïlandais de recherche scientifique et technologique, l'Institut des plastiques de Thaïlande et des organismes gouvernementaux locaux.
Dow hat eine Materialrückgewinnungsanlage (MRF) in der Provinz Rayong, Thailand, eröffnet, die das erste gemeinschaftlich geführte Unternehmen des Landes zur Rückgewinnung von hochwertigen Kunststoffabfällen markiert. Die im Jahr 2023 eröffnete Anlage hat das Ziel, jährlich über 1.000 Tonnen Kunststoff- und Materialabfälle davon abzuhalten, auf Deponien zu gelangen, und die Treibhausgasemissionen um 2.400 Tonnen CO2eq pro Jahr zu reduzieren.
Die Initiative, die durch Dows Business Impact Fund und die thailändische Regierung finanziert wird, konzentriert sich auf Abfallmanagement, die Rückgewinnung von Kunststoffverpackungen und die Umwandlung von Materialien. Das Projekt hat vier Vollzeitstellen geschaffen und bietet den lokalen Gemeinschaften Einkommensmöglichkeiten durch den Verkauf von recycelbaren Abfällen und upgecycelten Produkten. Die MRF umfasst eine Zusammenarbeit mit mehreren thailändischen Partnern, einschließlich des thailändischen Instituts für wissenschaftliche und technologische Forschung, des thailändischen Kunststoffinstituts und lokalen Regierungsbehörden.
- Project expected to prevent 1,000+ tons of plastics from landfills annually
- Estimated reduction of 2,400 tons CO2eq emissions per year
- Created 4 full-time jobs in the local community
- Generates additional income streams for community members
- None.
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / December 4, 2024 / How are we building a circular economy for plastics in Thailand? The simple answer is 'together'-because it takes a village, or in this case, the entire community.
Building a circular economy: An introduction
A circular economy for any type of material is a disruption to the traditional, linear thinking of "take-make-dispose" in which natural resources are developed into products and then disposed of after use. It is a new way of doing business and consuming goods that maximizes the value of resources-supporting the repurposing, or circularity, of materials.
This transition is important to support a more sustainable future around the world, and it will take collaboration and innovation to achieve it. A circular economy takes a product's total lifecycle into account-from the resources used to create it, to how it is made, to its use, disposal, and reuse.
Circularity can help the world meet a wide variety of complex sustainability challenges like the conservation of biodiversity, addressing pollution, and protecting the climate.
What is the materials ecosystem?
The materials ecosystem around plastic and renewable waste harnesses recycling technologies and circular solutions to recapture this value, thereby reducing landfill, incineration, and environmental leakage.
To drive progress, collaboration is key. This includes developing new technology to transform waste, investment in effective recycling infrastructure and circular systems, supportive policies, brands designing for circularity, and consumers believing their recycling efforts matter.
Working within the community to strengthen the circular economy in Thailand
Our team in Thailand has been actively engaging local communities-from government organizations to academic institutions-to help identify and enable solutions to environmental challenges faced in the region while supporting economic and social opportunity in those communities. This cross-sector collaboration allows us to work alongside local partners to effectively deploy innovations and technologies for positive impact.
One way we work within communities around the world is through the Dow Business Impact Fund. Launched in 2016, our Business Impact Fund leverages Dow's technology and expertise to unlock innovative solutions for some of the world's most pressing challenges. Funding proposals come directly from our employees worldwide, tapping their unique skills, business knowledge and diversity of locations and experiences.
Our collaboration to develop a Materials Recovery Facility in Thailand
The Plastic Circularity Community Enterprise Material Recovery Facility (MRF) opened in 2023 in Rayong Province, Thailand near one of our existing manufacturing sites. The MRF aims to manage waste, used plastic packaging, and discarded materials in Ban Chang, Rayong.
The project adopts a circular economy and sustainability framework to encourage waste segregation, improve the recovered material's quality, and develop new products from waste. The collaboration also includes wastewater treatment and energy generated from refuse-derived fuel (RDF). The RDF is a composite material produced from post-consumer and commercial waste, including scrap wood, fruit peels and multilayer plastics.
The MRF initiative expects to sort and enhance the quality of recyclable materials, with the goal of preventing over 1,000 tons of plastics and other materials from ending up in landfills every year. By returning these materials to the production stream, this initiative estimates that it will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2,400 tons of CO2eq annually.
Enabled by a grant from the Dow Business Impact Fund and matching funding from the Thailand government, this pilot project is also Thailand's first community-owned enterprise for high-quality plastic waste recovery. In addition to reducing plastic waste and providing a source of high-quality secondary raw materials and renewable feedstock for our polyethylene production in Thailand, the successful implementation will also help generate sustainable income for the local community.
Combining experience and expertise
This endeavor demonstrates how much can be achieved by working side by side across organizations, sectors, and stakeholders. The MRF initiative aims to both support the local economy and prevent waste from entering the environment.
Our collaboration with the local community began through a partnership called Improving Community's Segregated Plastic Waste through Science, Technology, and Innovation. We initiated this partnership with the Thailand Institute of Scientific and Technological Research (TISTR) in 2021. That collaboration, through the combined experience and expertise of its partners, enabled the community engagement necessary to develop Thailand's first high-quality MRF.
Growing collaboration
Over time, the partnership has expanded to attract more local strategic partners across sectors, each playing a critical role in driving the initiative forward.
Our Thai collaborators on the MRF initiative include:
Program Management Unit for Competitiveness: providing government funding
Thailand Institute of Scientific and Technological Research: supporting local and cost-effective technologies and machines
Plastics Institute of Thailand: supporting business model development
Rayong Province & Ban Chang District: supporting project implementation and execution
Ban Chang Municipality: providing an area for operations, preparing infrastructure and utilities
Scaling a sustainable model
The MRF initiative has been collaborative before the idea was even set into action. It began as a series of public hearing sessions to understand local needs. Over 400 members of the community attended these sessions.
Since the start-up of the MRF in September 2023, the initiative has created four full-time jobs that focus on waste collection and sorting, waste record tracking, and facility maintenance. At the same time, community members can increase their income by selling recyclable waste to the facility and by reselling upcycled products associated with facility operations.
As the MRF initiative is fully deployed, the goal is to engage more community members in the Ban Chang District through an online application system and an increase in the number of waste collection hubs. The initiative aims to continue expanding partnerships with local schools, temples, department stores, and government offices throughout the second half of 2024. With additional waste storage area and expanded building space, the initiative intends to assess staffing to meet program growth and the facility's overall capacity.
As the initiative proceeds, the results of a broader survey are expected in early 2025 that will serve as the foundation for a formalized Community Benefits Plan. This will help create and sustain the Just Transition to a healthy, circular economy in the local area.
Unlocking the value of waste
Waste should be viewed as a valuable resource waiting to be harnessed. We are witnessing firsthand how barriers to transforming waste are being broken down through technology, and the value of recycled materials is increasing.
The materials ecosystem allows us to address current gaps, connect the best partners, and disrupt how the world values, sources, transforms, and monetizes waste.
About the article
This case study was developed by a cross-discipline team representing geographic, social equity, materials and sustainability expertise across Dow, Inc. To learn more about how Dow is accelerating positive social change and creating a sustainable future, visit the Company's Purpose in Action pages.
View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from DOW on 3blmedia.com.
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SOURCE: DOW
View the original press release on accesswire.com
FAQ
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