Thai firm plans to recycle, cut use of plastic bags

[rooster59]

Thai firm plans to recycle, cut use of plastic bags

BANGKOK: A THAI company has initiated a plan to collect non-biodegradable plastic bags and turn them into something useful, such as bags to carry fruit.

The idea is part of a corporate social responsibility by Schneider Electric Thailand. The firm hopes to not only make plastic bags reusable, but to also reduce the amount of plastic waste that is discarded every day.

An estimated 1,800 tonnes of plastic waste is generated in Bangkok and some 360 million plastic bags are dumped a day, according to the Pollution Control Department (PCD).

Figures from studies around the world suggest it would take up to 450 years or even 1,000 years for a single plastic bag to decompose, depending on the type of plastic each bag is made of.

"This is the reason why we initiated the project and will focus on collecting non-biodegradable plastic shopping bags, as it takes a huge amount of time for the bags to decompose," said Pattaraporn Viradanont, head of marketing communications and digital customer experience at Schneider Electric.

"Instead of throwing them away, we can add more value to them and make them reusable in a more attractive form. In this case, we turn them into fruit-carrier-bags and give them as gifts to people during festivals or season greetings."

At the start of the project, Schneider Electric Thailand has chosen to work with the EcoCraft Design Workshop & Voluntourism group, an OTOP community in Suan Phueng district in Ratchaburi province to produce a fruit-carrier-bag from non-biodegradable bags. The collaboration also aims to create a sense of responsibility - and jobs - for people in the community.

The company has urged employees to collect and bring plastic shopping bags to join with the project.

A single fruit-carrier-bag is made from at least 20 plastic shopping bags.

Pattaraporn said: "The project is, in fact, quite small but we're aiming for something bigger in return. We would like to remind people and to build up better understanding on how we can bit by bit save the environment. The more we can reduce non-degradable plastic waste, the more we help reduce potential of greenhouse gas effects."

The initiative is in line with Schneider Electric's movement at the global level as the company has an environmental policy common to all its entities. As a global specialist in energy management and automation, the company has been working on the technological innovation "Green Plastic Programme".

The move aims to develop next generation plastic with a view to improving health profiles as well as to minimise the environmental impact in order to offer products and solutions today in accordance with the principles of sustainable development.

The Green Plastic Programme is carried out in collaboration with businesses and teams in charge of material purchasing and design, and is part of the group's actions for sustainable development.

Schneider has conducted research on what it called recyclable "green" bio-plastics manufactured from materials that are environmentally sound, using waste-free processes and renewable resources - for example, cellulose.

Life cycle assessments demonstrate that biosource plastics — recycled or vegetable-based — can now technically replace existing solutions, improving health and limiting resource depletion. Schneider Electric is conducting tests to transition to biosource plastics for its switches and other basic products.

The direction of long-term research is biomass, from which it will produce tomorrow's plastics through bio-refining. The findings of its research must be both environmentally sound and economical.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Thai-firm-plans-to-recycle-cut-use-of-plastic-bags-30273475.html

-- The Nation 2015-11-22

[Estrada]

Someone better tell this ignorant company that it is not allowed to reuse plastics to manufacture bags to contain foods, even in Thailand.

[jaltsc]

"The firm hopes to not only make plastic bags reusable, but to also reduce the amount of plastic waste that is discarded every day."

How about solving the plastic waste problem by raising the price of plastic bags at the wholesale level to average 100 baht each which will be passed on to the customers...And...Make available large, reusable shopping bags, made of natural materials for 50 baht each? This would help eliminate the amount of processing necessary to recycle plastic. I would also suggest that there be a buy back system for plastic bags. However, I am sure if that were implemented, it would create a black market for plastic bags, smuggled into Thailand for the sole purpose of selling them at the marked up price. And come to think of it, the business owners would probably smuggle their own bags to avoid the high price.

Bottom line...If the population doesn't care about pollution and is willing to live with it, nothing can really be done. Best example I can think of is Cambodia. After being there for a few weeks, The streets in Thailand seem to be as clean as an operating room (Of a hospital, not one of the store front clinics).

Edited November 22, 2015 by jaltsc

[z42]

Excellent news and even more ingenius innovation. I wish them all the success in the world with this project.

Thailand drastically needs to clean up its land because the trash everywhere blights the landscape horribly

[fakename]

Good idea, make something out of the bags , that people wont buy or use.

[TheCruncher]

"The firm hopes to not only make plastic bags reusable, but to also reduce the amount of plastic waste that is discarded every day."

How about solving the plastic waste problem by raising the price of plastic bags at the wholesale level to average 100 baht each which will be passed on to the customers...And...Make available large, reusable shopping bags, made of natural materials for 50 baht each? This would help eliminate the amount of processing necessary to recycle plastic. I would also suggest that there be a buy back system for plastic bags. However, I am sure if that were implemented, it would create a black market for plastic bags, smuggled into Thailand for the sole purpose of selling them at the marked up price. And come to think of it, the business owners would probably smuggle their own bags to avoid the high price.

Bottom line...If the population doesn't care about pollution and is willing to live with it, nothing can really be done. Best example I can think of is Cambodia. After being there for a few weeks, The streets in Thailand seem to be as clean as an operating room (Of a hospital, not one of the store front clinics).

In Europe, at least in my home country, you don't get plastic bags anymore in the supermarkets.

When I have friends come on holiday here, they all complain about it, because they used to use the bags as insert in the kitchen garbage bin or to collect other rubbish, so now they have to buy PLASTIC bags for that purpose.

In both cases the plastic bags get burned in the waste incinerators, and I don't think it makes a difference if there is written Carrefour on it or not.

So I don't really see a reduce in plastic bags, only some people who get richer from it.

[maderaroja]

They can be melted down and used to create methane gases which, in turn, could be used to generate electricity.

[samuibeachcomber]

Someone better tell this ignorant company that it is not allowed to reuse plastics to manufacture bags to contain foods, even in Thailand.

how about just banning plastic bags and bottles?...too difficult,too many interested parties would lose money?