Indorama Ventures takes back used PET bottles to make PPE suits
Global chemical firm Indorama Ventures (IVL) is transforming PET bottles into PPE (personal protective equipment) to donate to local hospitals and help with the fight against Covid-19.
Initiated by Less Plastic Thailand in May this year, the “Separate PET Bottles to Help Doctors” project ensures complete end-to-end waste separation and PPE production process. As the world’s largest PET (polyethylene terephthalate) producer, Indorama’s plastic recycling expertise and infrastructure is key to the project’s operation.
Under the project, some 360,000 PET bottles were recycled and converted into high-quality yarn at Indorama’s recycling facilities in Nakhon Pathom and Rayong, before being cut to produce more than 16,000 PPE suits. The project’s aim is to provide these suits to more than 200 hospitals nationwide to help protect medical personnel working on the Covid-19 frontline.
Meanwhile, HSBC Thailand became the first commercial bank to participate in the project by calling on all its staff to collect and donate their used water bottles to the cause.
Richard Jones, senior vice president and chief of corporate communications at Indorama Ventures, said: “IVL is delighted to bring onboard key partners such as HSBC to take part in this much-needed recycling project during the Covid-19 crisis. The bottles collected by HSBC’s employees will be converted into recycled yarns to produce PPE suits made from 100 per cent recycled PET bottles sourced in Thailand. By utilising our facilities, IVL aims to minimise the amount of waste sent to landfills and promote the efficient use of resources through recycling, which is in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals [SDGs] fostering sustainable consumption and production.”
HSBC has provided more than 200 kilograms of used bottles for the production of 650 recycled PPE suits that will be used when treating low-to-medium risk patients. This translates to a reduction of carbon emission by 300 kilograms.
Krisda Phatcharoen, chief of HSBC Thailand’s commercial banking division, said: “HSBC is one of many corporations that have been assisting people affected by the pandemic as well as working with partners to benefit the society constructively. We are thrilled to play a part in IVL’s efforts to create a circular value chain.”
To bring this end-to-end initiative to life, Less Plastic Thailand – a local environmental conservation network – has brought together a range of partners including Indorama Ventures, Thai Taffeta, Thong Thai Textile, TOA Paint and GoWith20.
