SCG Highlights SCG Circular Way In in Line with Circular Economy to Promote Eco-Friendly Habits and Expand Green Meeting Innovation with Foreign Affairs Ministry

6 June 2019 1960 views

       As demands for resources has grown substantially, many sectors have increasingly focused on using resources in the most efficient manner. The government has established a 20-year national strategic plan aiming to pursue environmentally friendly development; meanwhile, the public sector has become progressively active in taking part in an eco-friendly movement. The private sector is embracing changes to build sustainable growth in the long run. This can only be achieved if all sectors earnestly engage in advancing Thailand and ASEAN countries to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs).

       Mr. Sakchai Patiparnpreechavud, Chairman of Circular Economy Committee, said, “SCG has a passion and commitment to sustainable development as it’s incorporating circular economy principles into business operations. The Company established the Circular Economy Committee to formulate strategies and policies as well as following on Circular Economy activities at the global level and applying them to foster local-level collaboration and creating a national network. SCG is striving to develop products and services in line with Circular Economy principles with innovation on top of encouraging employees and business partners to adopt the Circular Way. We encourage employees to adopt green habits in their daily lives by properly putting wastes into different 6 bin types placed in many areas in the SCG office to accomplish appropriate waste management and zero landfill.  The sorted wastes will be managed in the recovery process; meanwhile, some wastes can be revalued to deliver further benefits such as the process of recycling black-and-white paper waste into raw materials for Idea Green paper or converting brown paper into corrugated packaging. In the future, food waste will be processed to be used for soil improvement. The Company will also promote “Green Meeting” innovation at any SCG’s event occasions.”

       However, SCG alone cannot achieve a wide success. SCG gives priority to partnerships with all sectors to push Thailand and ASEAN countries forward to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs).

“This is a good opportunity for Thailand as Asean Chair as we will host ASEAN leader summits and ministerial conferences throughout the year 2019. Thus, SCG has engaged sharing five elements of “Green Meeting” Innovation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which are Green Venue, Green Document, Green Arrangement, Green Catering, and Climate Protection. These approaches will be part of raising environmental awareness and encouraging attendees to adopt eco-friendly habits,” said Mr. Sakchai.

       Apart from focusing on sustainable development, SCG is striving to innovate and develop innovations to create environmentally friendly products and services to enhance the entire manufacturing process that optimizes the resources in the most efficient way in line with the Circular Economy concept.

Mr. Sakchai added, “Apart from introducing ‘Green Meeting’ Innovation, SCG also take part in presenting products made of recycled items for ASEAN Leader Summit such as exhibition made of recycled materials, photoshoot backdrop, paper chairs, podium, paper boxes for returning name badges, 100% recycled notebooks, Fest food-containing packages, paper straws, Fill fest foldable bottles, waste separation bins including value-added recycled materials made of SCG production leftovers such as cement tote bags and baskets made from paper-based tapes. These products illustrate SCG’s determination to minimize the use of new materials and maximize the existing resources in the most beneficial and valuable way possible by implementing paper recovery innovation and increase usage proportion of recyclable raw materials yet maintaining robustness in order to produce different types of products. This effort also invites attendees to shift to a more practical eco-friendly lifestyle.”

       SCG and Ministry of Foreign Affairs shared a common outlook on applying the Green Meeting Innovation and using products made of recycled paper in the meetings throughout the year 2019. And after reaching the end of the lifecycle, some recycled paper equipment will be donated to departments that are in need of such materials. The leftover will be remanufactured in the recovery process to minimize the wastes generated in the meetings, in line with the Circular Economy. The collaborative effort will develop the concept implementation to other ministries aimed at creating a concrete environmentally friendly practice in a broader sense.

        As for the next step, SCG will continue to focus on creating innovation to meet the needs of stakeholders under the practice “Circular Way” by furthering the development of sustainability, maximizing the resources according to the circular economy concept and adopting digital technology in the organization. These efforts will help elevate operations of the entire value chain which are significant foundations for building business growth and sustainability of all relevant parties. SCG aims to forge more cooperation to drive ASEAN to achieve sustainable development goals and become a model organization for knowledge transfer on sustainable development with the aim of enhancing Thailand’s industry under the theme “Advancing Partnership for Sustainability.”