The Dow Chemical Company and SCG Turn Recycled Plastics into Roads in Thailand

Bangkok, July 9, 2018 – Dow Thailand Group and SCG announced a joint effort to turn recycled plastics into asphalt roads which will help reduce plastic marine debris, enhance road performance and potentially reduce greenhouse gas emissions during road construction.

Currently, Thailand is ranked 6^th out of 192 countries as the major contributor of plastic ocean debris. According to the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, there is approximately 11.5 million tons of waste in the country’s 23 coastal provinces with more than 1.5 million tons consisting of plastics. Dow and SCG are working together to provide a valuable end of life solution to that plastic waste to ensure it does not end up as marine debris. This project helps further Dow’s 2025 Sustainability Goals to advance a circular economy by delivering solutions to tackle environmental issues, raise awareness on recycling and reuse of plastics and create a sustainable business environment for plastics producers and consumers alike.

“Dow’s 2025 Sustainability Goals can only be achieved by partnering with like-minded organizations who share our mission in the communities where we live and work,” said Jeff Wooster, global sustainability director, Dow Packaging & Specialty Plastics. “The collaboration with SCG in finding a valuable end of life solution for plastic waste used in new road development brings us one step closer to realizing these goals, as well as minimizing the environmental footprint of plastics.”

Dow recently partnered in India and Indonesia to conduct similar projects that turned recycled plastic into asphalt roads. In India, more than 100 metric tons of recycled plastics were converted to roads that stretched 40 kilometers in the cities of Pune and Bangalore. In Depok, Indonesia, the first plastic road trial resulted in turning 3.5 metric tons of plastic waste into a road nearly two kilometers in length which covered a total area of 9,781 square meters. This technology helped create a new value to plastic waste that otherwise would be landfilled or in the environment as land or ocean litter.

This project combines Dow’s knowledge and expertise in materials science with our close collaborations across the industry to result in something that is good for our communities as well as the environment,” said Chatchai Luanpolcharoenchai, president of Dow Thailand Group. “This solution is one of the ways we are advancing a circular economy right here in Thailand.”

Roongrote Rangsiyopash, president and CEO of SCG said, “SCG has been partnering with local and international organizations to create sustainable circular economy. This collaboration with Dow Thailand Group will create value to plastic waste and enhance knowledge and expertise exchange in technology and R&D, which SCG always values as tools to enrich circular economy. This recycled plastic–based road innovation is environmentally friendly and will genuinely improve people’s quality of life.”