On the way that Thailand is now reducing the use of plastics to reduce the plastic waste in the environment, Single-Use Plastic Bags were banned starting from the very beginning of the year 2020. While the plastic bags lead us to a convenient lifestyle, the lack of the waste treatment system led to a misunderstanding of the solution to result in banning of the thin plastic shopping bags as they were defined as a single use plastic bag.
The SMEs who produce the plastic shopping bags in a sudden come to a dead-end while the retailer and customers have to find the quick and practical solutions to fulfil the good handlings for the products. On this viewpoint, PTTGC focuses on the “Reusable Thick Plastic Shopping Bags” to propose the merit of reducing the plastic waste and being the way-out for the shopping mechanisms as well as the plastic business sectors.
There, PPC joined with PTTGC to declare how the physical and mechanical properties can be maintained after reusing those thick plastic shopping bags. Dr. Sorapat tested the thick plastic bags provided by PTTGC under the specific condition simulating the multiple uses with a certain weight packed in the bags. The results confirmed that, for the plastic bags with above 45 micrometers thickness, the reuse time can be up to 70 times without the loss in mechanical properties. Considering the records in the past that in Thailand the consumption of thin plastic bags is about 45 trillion bags/ year (5 mg/bag) and this leads to 225,000 ton/year. While we bring the reusable for only 30 times, we can reduce the plastic consumption to be as low as 45,000 tons/year.
(L-R) Mr. Kitti Eiammanont (PTTGC), Mr. Viboon Pungprasert (PTTGC), Dr. Kriengsak Wongpromrat (President of the Plastics Institute of Thailand), Mr. Somsak Borrisuttanakul (TPBI), Ms. Chuleeporn Borrisuttanakul (TPBI), Ms. Varinthorn Uvimolchai (Bio-Eco Co., Ltd.), Dr. Savanit Boonyasuwat (PTTGC), Prof. Dr. Suwabun Chirachanchai (PPC), Dr. Sorapat Niyomsin (PPC), Ms. Wassana Sooksomsin (PTTGC), Ms. Varinthorn Uvimolchai (Bio-Eco Co., Ltd.), Mr. Weerayuth Lorsathian (PTTGC).
Mr. Pornsak Mongkoltrirat, (Acting Executive Vice President PTTGC) (Left), joined with Dr. Kongkrapan Intarajang (Chief Executive Officer PTTGC) and Dr. Chaya Chandavasu (Senior Vice President PTTGC) presented the Plastic Waste Management System to Minister of Natural Resources and Environment (Mr. Varawut Silpa-archa) at Synergy Hall, Energy Complex C Building.
On the occasion of the MOU opening ceremony between PTTGC and Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment on “Integrated Waste Management System on National Parks as Circular Economy Model for Thailand” on March 20, 2020, where Minister Varawut Silpa-archa and PTTGC CEO Mr. Kongkrapan Intarajang presented and signed the MOU, the company not only displayed the on-going activities but also presented the new project, namely, “thick plastic bags, reuse it ถุงหนาใช้ซ้ำ”. The PPC declared the data on thick plastic bags related to the reusability to ensure the lifetime and co-proposed with PTTCG as an alternative choice to substitute single use plastic bags.
