Siam Piwat, together with the Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, PPP Plastics, Plastics Institute of Thailand, and partner networks organized the “Let’s Close the Loop”
Siam Piwat Company Limited, together with the Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, PPP Plastics, Plastics Institute of Thailand, and partner networks organized the “Let’s Close the Loop” exhibition and the “From Pieces to Business” business plan contest for plastic management according to the circular economy concept in shopping centers, with the goal of disseminating knowledge, situations, and concepts of plastic management in Thailand and collecting business model ideas on plastic management from students and young entrepreneurs. All activities were recently held at Siam Paragon Shopping Center, 3rd Floor, Living Hall Zone.
Activities in the "Let's Close the Loop" exhibition and the "From Pieces to Business" business plan contest consist of:
- Final pitching event and announcement of the winner of the business plan contest
- Discussion activities
o "Let's Close the Loop"
o “Produce, use, close the plastic loop with PCR”
o “Digital technology to drive a circular economy”
- An exhibition on waste management based on the concept of circular economy, comprehensively from start to finish
The “Let's Close the Loop” exhibition and the “From Pieces to Business” contest are part of the consumer behavior study project to develop a business model for post-use plastic waste management using the circular economy concept in the inner-city area (Pathumwan District). The project is funded by Program Management Unit Competitiveness (PMUC) under The Office of National Higher Education Science Research and Innovation Policy Council (NXPO).
Ms. Narathip Rattapradit, Chief Operating Officer, Siam Piwat Company Limited, said, "This cooperation between Siam Piwat, Plastics Institute of Thailand, and Chulalongkorn University reinforces the mission that reflects the company's business operations vision to benefit the people and society at large and be an important part in elevating the quality of life, creating sustainability for the wider society, promoting good quality of life for Thai people, as well as taking care of the environment according to the principles of circular economy. The Siam Pieces Project by OneSiam(Siam Center, Siam Discovery, Siam Paragon) is the main target area for study and analysis of research results in order to prepare a business model for plastic waste management in urban society. This leads to a business model of bringing all kinds of plastic waste back into production and recycling systems. Therefore, it is another important step that helps to continue Siam Piwat’s environmental project. Siam Piwat strives to be a model for shopping centers that emphasize plastic waste management. We have also provided space in Siam Paragon for the ‘Let's Close the Loop’ activities. It is an ongoing project aimed at building understanding and encouraging consumers to be aware of their plastic waste disposal habits through educational exhibitions and seminar activities. It also gives students an opportunity to present their business models in the contest, which highlights creativity and innovation in helping to solve the problem of plastic waste. Throughout the project period, these activities are considered integral parts of assembling a comprehensive plastic management solution. It is a mechanism that promotes, drives and expands the benefits by applying the business model to other areas for proper management of plastic waste after use.”
Mr. Veera Kwanloetchit, Director of Plastics Institute of Thailand said, “The Plastics Institute was assigned by Program Management Unit Competitiveness (PMUC) under the Office of National Higher Education Science Research and Innovation Policy Council (NXPO), under the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, to carry out a project to develop a business model for the management of plastic waste, using the concept of circular economy, in the inner-city area. This is one project that responds to Thailand’s national agenda on BCG and is a collaboration with PPP Plastics, Siam Piwat Company Limited, and Chulalongkorn University. It consists of a study and analysis of consumer behavior data as a guideline for formulating a business plan that is suitable for the area, in terms of improving tools, equipment, and behavior that can help to sort out and bring more plastic waste back into use, as well as linking data across the value chain through digital platforms. According to the project implementation plan, the ‘From Pieces to Business’ contest is an important supplement. The project allows access to new concepts in plastic waste management in order to be able to meet the real needs of operators in the area. I sincerely hope that the results from the ‘From Pieces to Business’ contest will be able to play a part in helping to develop the country's waste management concept.”
Prof. Dr. Pisut Painmanakul, Associate Dean of Innovation and Sustainability Strategy, Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University said, “The problem we are going to be looking at is closing the loop of plastic waste management in the downtown area. If we look at Thailand, the area surrounding the Pathumwan district is a relatively densely populated urban area and the heart of the tourist area. At today's event, we have 4 collaborators. The first is Program Management Unit Competitiveness (PMUC). The second is the private sector, consisting of PPP Plastics and the leading group of companies in the country. The third is the academic institutes, including Plastics Institute of Thailand and the Faculty of Engineering Chulalongkorn University. The last is the government sector, including the Department of Environmental Quality Promotion and Pathumwan District. As for the project name “SIAM PIECES”, the word PIECES comes from PI = Piwat, E = Empowerment and CES = Circular Economy Society. The main goal is to create a business model that is not derived from solely the academics or government, which would be quite Top-Down. On the other hand, what we want is for people to participate, to empower people, and for everyone to co-own the business model. The content presented by the participants will be passed along to the community, who actually implements it. This business model competition is quite novel, compared to traditional research work. Even though we may not have the best business model, we are confident that the new generation will understand plastic management, want to save the planet, and work together for the future.”
The “Let's Close the Loop” exhibition and the “From Pieces to Business” event are a final stage of the circular economy plastic management business plan contest that has been ongoing to provide contestants with an understanding of the situation of plastics in Thailand and comprehensive management, as well as provide relevant knowledge in business plan development, whether it be a waste management approach according to academic principles, economic tools to create behavior modification, engaging with stakeholders, basic principles and guidelines for developing a business model, as well as consulting and listening to advice from experts, in order for the contestants to develop a realistic business plan in plastics management. It is also a knowledge transfer method to create awareness of plastics management in a comprehensive manner, according to the concept of circular economy, to the general public who attend the exhibition and activities and the society at large.
