FTI Teams Up With Alliance to End Plastic Waste, CMU to Support Innovative Road Development Using Recycled Plastic Waste to Address Environmental Problems

Bangkok, December 16, 2022—The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) collaborated with the Alliance to End Plastic Waste and Chiang Mai University (CMU) in holding a press conference to announce a breakthrough study on innovative road development using recycled plastic waste. They also gave a report on the progress of the second phase recycled plastic road development, which is being carried out as part of the “Recycled Plastics in Roads Study” project to construct and strengthen the roads using recycled plastic waste in line with the circular economy to achieve sustainable development. The study on road development innovation using recycled plastic waste aims to provide knowledge on how to take advantage of post-consumer plastics and transform them into a core material for building and strengthening asphalt roads.In addition, it helps reduce environmental problems and waste volume by utilizing hard-to-recycle post-consumer plastic waste to become value added resources for sustainability. A seminar on the study results of the first phase recycled plastic road development project was also held to discuss and share knowledge about building roads containing recycled plastics for future road development.

Dr. Chakree Bamrungwong, Principal Advisor on Land Transport Economics, Ministry of Transport, said: “The Ministry of Transport has the policy to develop an efficient multimodal transport network and incentives for travelers and transport operators to change the form of travel and transportation from cars to rails shortly. However, plastic waste utilization in road construction under the cooperation of many sectors will be another option for building a sustainable road in Thailand. The Ministry of Transport would like to support this operation and cooperation to be appropriately adapted to the implementation of various projects of the Ministry of Transport in the future.”

Mr. Kriengkrai Thiennukul, Chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), said: “The Federation of Thai Industries is pleased to play a key role in pushing the recycled plastic road development project forward as it focuses on addressing the plastic waste problem and creating value added to post-consumer plastic products. The recycled plastic road development project was initiated by the FTI’s member companies and alliances: SCG Chemicals (SCGC), Dow Thailand Group (DOW), AMATA, SC Asset and 7-Eleven with support from the Alliance to End Plastic Waste to help transform knowledge about using plastic waste for road pavements into action and to solve the environmental problems in a sustainable manner”.

Asst. Prof. Dr. Pruk Aggarangsi, Director of Energy Research and Development Institute-Nakornping, Chiang Mai University, added: “Chiang Mai University has continuously collaborated with organizations in the public and private sectors on the recycled plastic road development project. The university has skilled personnel and relevant equipment in place in order to enhance the development of innovative roads using recycled plastic waste through research-based road development principles. It is our pleasure to be able to participate in this project, which not only helps increase knowledge about innovative road development, but also serves as a roadmap for developing solutions for Thailand to better deal with the plastic waste problem.”

Mr. Nicholas Kolesch, Vice President of Projects at the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, said: “I am delighted that we have successfully completed Phase 1 of this landmark research project led by two key South East Asian nations, Thailand and Singapore, as part of our ALL_Thailand sustainable plastic management programme announced in June 2021. This paves the way for a sustainable path, building physical links that connect people and strengthen economies while preventing plastic waste from ending up in the environment.

The project showcases the strong partnership between the Federation of Thai Industries and the Alliance, while tapping into the knowledge of Chiangmai University and the expertise of PPP Plastics. Coupled with the involvement of the Thai Ministry of Transport, we are demonstrating what public-private collaboration can do to identify and fund practical solutions that can be applicable in many countries. The fact that the results of this study will be made open-source allows acceleration in the pace of valorisation of plastic waste globally, especially those post-consumer materials that are hard-to-recycle and of low value.”

At the press conference, Mr. Charoenchai Prathuangsuksri, President of the FTI’s Petrochemical Industry Club, together with Dr. Wijarn Simachaya, President of Thailand Environment Institute (TEI) and Secretary General of the Thailand Business Council for Sustainable Development (TBCSD), an honorary committee on the Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) economy model, and Chairman of the Sub-Committee on steering the circular economy; and Mr. Veera Kwanloetchit, President of the Plastics Institute of Thailand and secretary for the PPP Plastics project, jointly announced the study results of the innovative development of recycled plastic roads and the progress of the second-phase recycled plastic road development project.

In addition, a seminar titled “1st-Phase Recycled Plastic Road Development Project” was held to discuss the achievements of the project and share knowledge about innovative road development using recycled plastic waste that can be adopted for future development. The aim is for relevant agencies, organizations and stakeholders to acknowledge the progress and all research results related to the first phase recycled plastic road development. They also shared the engineering research results and construction knowledge in order to help strengthen the roads made from recycled plastic waste mixed with asphalt. This not only helps with reducing problems associated with plastic waste management, but also reduces costs of road construction. Such road development practice will not lead to ensuing environmental issues.

The “Recycled Plastics in Roads Study” project is in line with the goal to transition to a circular economy for sustainable development, and has been carried out in collaboration with the PPP Plastics, the Federation of Thai Industries and Chiang Mai University with funding support from the Alliance to End Plastic Waste. FTI serves as the recycled plastic road project management office, supporting the transformation of post-consumer plastic products into recycled materials to construct asphalt roads in Thailand. The Department of Civil Engineering, Chiang Mai University, took the lead in the research and when the study is complete, the public sector, relevant agencies and stakeholders can adopt and make the most of the knowledge gained from the collaborative study. It is in line with the government’s BCG economic development policy and Thailand’s plastic waste management roadmap.

For more information and further inquiries, please contact the Federation of Thai Industries’ Petrochemical Industry Club at http://www.ftipc.or.th/th/contact

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