Thailand is promoting the concept of bioeconomy (Photo: bangkokpost.com) Bangkok (VNA) – Thailand is promoting the concept of bioeconomy, which encourages the use of renewable resources and waste products to make value-added products, to support the country’s ambitious plan to make Thailand the biochemical industry hub of ASEAN by 2027.
Not only does a bioeconomy emphasise an environmentally friendly view of economic development, it also promises healthy revenue for farmers and business opportunities for plastics producers and other agricultural entrepreneurs.
The Plastics Institute of Thailand (PITH) is forecasting bright prospects for the industry next year, thanks to strong demand in segments such as food and beverages, personal care and computers and electronics.
PITH president Veera Kwanloetchit believed the global plastic market, particularly the packaging segment, will expand next year as plastic packaging and other plastic-based products have become an essential part of the daily lives.
Plastic consumption increases during the pandemic, and it seems in contrast to the campaign against the plastic waste, he said.
The government launched a campaign to reduce plastic usage on January 1 this year, preventing shops from handing out single-use plastic bags to customers. But almost one year later, the demand for plastic beads, a raw material needed in various industries, has increased. An economic recovery will only intensify the demand for plastic, according to PITH.
Thailand is the largest producer of plastics in ASEAN. Factories, mostly based in the Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate in Rayong, produce a range of plastic materials from polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) to high-density polyethylene (HDPE) for domestic and overseas sales. There are around 3,000 plastic conversion companies in the country.
The government has a policy to promote manufacturing processes that are more friendly to the environment and, PITH believes, the plastics sector can follow this policy under the bioeconomy concept.
PITH, a state agency under the Industry Ministry, supports innovations that will put the Thai plastics industry on a path of sustainable growth.
One mission is to connect the development of plastics in tandem with the sugar industry. The government aims to support sugar cane farmers by increasing cane prices and developing high value-added products, said Ekapat Wangsuwan, secretary-general of the Office of the Cane and Sugar Board (OCSB). The production of bioplastics using sugar offers a good deal of promise, he said.
Thailand is the world’s fourth largest sugar producer and the second biggest exporter following Brazil. Its sugar cane plantations cover 11.4 million rai in 47 provinces of Thailand. There are 57 sugar mills in the country, with a capacity of 983,587 tonnes per day./.
VNA
