SCG's Collaboration with DMCR on Solving the Marine Waste Issue in 13 Pilot Provinces and Launching the Autonomous "SCG Smart Litter Trap 4.0" Prototype

BANGKOK – August 22, 2019 Mr Cholanat Yanaranop, President of Chemicals Business, SCG delivered 20 SCG-DMCR Litter Traps to Dr Wijarn Simachaya, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, in order for the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) to install along with the DMCR’s floating litter traps at the river mouths and canals within 13 pilot provinces to reduce the amount of waste entering the seas and the installation is expected to collect 30 tons of wastes in 6 months. SCG also launched the "SCG Smart Litter Trap 4.0" Prototype with an autonomous system to collect wastes in the areas of still water or where the floating litter traps cannot reach.

SCG-DMCR Litter Traps, developed in collaboration by Chemicals Business, SCG and the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) to be installed at the river mouths and canals, are designed with a 2-way entrance system using the efficient water flow and pressure principles to collect wastes and prevent the leak influenced by the tides. Chemicals Business, SCG and the DMCR have signed a memorandum of understanding for the "Development Project of Floating Litter Traps for Installing at the River Mouths and Canals” on the 24^th of June, 2019, where SCG-DMCR Litter Traps have been installed in 5 areas around Rayong River mouths and canals in Samut Sakorn province leading to satisfactory results. Each of the initially installed SCG-DMCR Litter Traps is capable of collecting and containing 7.7 kilograms of river wastes per day and more SCG-DMCR Litter Traps are to be installed in 20 areas within 13 pilot provinces.

Dr Wijarn Simachaya, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, said that in order to solve the ocean waste issue we need to implement waste management systematically on land and in the sea as the marine wastes greatly destroy marine resources and, therefore, it has become a major crisis in Thailand that must be solved systematically and completely. The collaboration between all sectors are extremely important, for instance, the collaboration between the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR), Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, and SCG to co-develop SCG-DMCR Litter Traps and to be the Chair of ASEAN for 2019 in solving the ASEAN’s marine waste issue, a significant part towards minimising the marine waste issue regionally and globally.

Mr Jatuporn Burutpat, Director-General of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR), said that wastes mostly enter the seas via rivers and canals as Thailand has over 500 rivers and canals connected to the seas, according to the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources’ research. The SCG-DMCR Litter Traps will be installed in 20 areas within 13 seaside provinces, including Rayong, Chachoengsao, Samut Songkhram, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Phetchaburi, Surat Thani, Songkhla, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Pattani, Phang Nga, Phuket, Satun, and Ranong, and they are expected to reduce at least 30 tons of marine wastes in 6 months.

Mr Cholanat Yanaranop, President of Chemicals Business, SCG, said that SCG is well aware of the marine waste issue and the collaboration between the DMCR and SCG is a vital beginning where the latest innovation has been brought in to solve the issue. The offered “SCG-DMCR Litter Traps” will be in the care of the DMCR and SCG will constantly follow up the results and research the management of sea-based wastes in order to create the added value, according to the circular economy concept, as well as to prevent them from re-entering the seas.

In addition, SCG has utilised their robotics expertise to innovate and develop the "SCG Smart Litter Trap 4.0" Prototype to collect wastes in the still water or hard-to-reach areas by implementing the Machine Learning (ML) and Internet of Things (IoT) techniques to increase the efficiency of waste management and to facilitate the officers. The "SCG Smart Litter Trap 4.0" Prototype is also driven by solar power to save the energy and expected to be ready to use by the end of 2019.