“Vibhavadi Zero Waste” is a collaborative effort led by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Thailand Responsible Business Network (TRBN) aimed at encouraging listed companies located along Vibhavadi Road to jointly find ways to efficiently manage waste, increase recycling rates and cut waste going into landfill.
“The SEC and we would like to encourage businesses to do something together. Waste management is among the major issues plaguing our country. The SEC and many listed companies have offices along the Vibhavadi Road. That’s why we initiate the project using this road as a pilot project.”
Pimpan Diskul na Ayudhya, director of Thailand Responsible Business Network (TRBN), explained the origin of “Vibhavadi Zero Waste” in which she plays a significant role in the project.
The launch event was held on 4 December 2020, which falls on Thai Environment Day. The SEC sent invitation letters to listed companies located on Vibhavadi Road, and 31 companies have pledged to join the project. Apart from providing education about waste management, the event also offered companies a space to share knowledge on waste management. Moreover, the SEC also partnered with TRBN to launch a Facebook page as a platform to share information and raise awareness on proper waste management.
“We have comprehensive data records, but we still need those data to come alive. We launched this online page to serve as a platform for companies to share information and exchange experiences about waste management. Companies can apply knowledge learned from the platform to their companies’ activities.”
Ruenvadee Suwanmongkol, Secretary-General, Securities and Exchange Commission, Thailand, revealed the key motivation triggering companies to work on waste management. The SEC is among members of the “Vibhavadi Zero Waste” project that has implemented proper waste management. The SEC has joined hands with TRBN, a consulting firm, to develop a data collection platform to improve waste management efficiency. The companies must implement internal waste management practices and upload real data to the central platform. The data outcome will be the indicators of how well the companies are handling waste management and identifying room for improvement.
The primary goal is to achieve in 2020, the first year of the project, is to increase the recycling rates and recycling performance of the company offices along the Vibhavadi Road, reduce landfill, and prevent waste from leaking into the environment while adhering to the concept of reducing, reusing and recycling. The goal is to eventually transform into practice excellence in waste management in buildings and spatial environments. Plus, the secondary goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, or CO2 equivalents, increase green space, build engagement of companies on Vibhavadi Road and motivate people in the society to be more aware of waste management.
To this day, no one knows in the end if the project “Vibhavadi Zero Waste” will achieve what it has set out to make. The cooperation of companies and organizations along Vibhavadi, at the least, will yield positive impacts for the road.
It should not be a surprise if one day Vibhavadi Road will truly become a zero-waste road.
