Catalysing Collective Action to End Plastic Waste through ALL_Thailand Initiative

Programme to launch with 3 projects to advance a plastic waste circular economy

Bangkok, 15 June 2021 – The Alliance to End Plastic Waste (Alliance), together with the Federation of Thai Industries and Thailand PPP Plastics, joined forces to launch the ALL_Thailand programme today. The initiative is a joint effort between the public and private sector to end plastic waste in the environment in Thailand.

The programme will develop solutions to advance the plastic waste circular economy, by addressing real-life problems on the ground. By bringing individual projects together, ALL_Thailand aims to have a multiplier effect, further enabling knowledge sharing, empowering more widespread community engagement, and improving recycling literacy among residents.

The initial rollout includes 3 projects:

1. The EcoDigiclean Klongtoei Project is a pilot project in the Klongtoei district of Bangkok focusing on the use of digital technology to help manage plastic waste at the source, such as creating applications to encourage consumers to participate in the waste management system, optimising collection logistics design to decrease cost, and developing semi-automatic bins to support separation of plastic waste. With these initiatives, the project will help identify and capture sources of plastic waste, enabling a higher recycling rate.
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2. The Rayong Less-Waste Project is the extension of a proven community-level waste management model first implemented in Wangwa, Rayong. The project will be rolled out to cover the entire province of Rayong, creating a sustainable model for managing waste plastics, creating economic value for the community. In accordance with the established provincial circular economy principles, it will create jobs, provide income for the community, and most importantly reduce the amount of waste plastic that goes to landfill or escapes into the environment.
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3. The Paving Green Roads Project is a multi-country research study focusing on the possible environmental impacts of using recycled plastic in road paving applications. Along with partners, the Federation of Thai Industry and Chiang Mai University, we will be researching the impact of plastic use as a component of asphalt concrete roads, evaluating air pollution, water leaching, mechanical properties, and recyclability. From this research, we hope to move into actual physical piloting in Thailand using the dry process of road construction.

Mr Jacob Duer, President and CEO of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, said: “These three projects are each unique examples of the action happening on the ground. When combined through the ALL_Thailand programme, they demonstrate how collaboration can help to amplify individual efforts—to enable knowledge-sharing, empower education, and drive positive impact for communities. This is in line with the vision of the Alliance to catalyse collective action to advance a circular economy and end plastic waste in the environment.”