SCGC Unveils Thailand's First Chemical Recycling Technology Turning Post-Consumer Plastics into Renewable Feedstock for Petrochemical Plants

Bangkok — 28 January 2021: Chemicals Business, SCG, has set its circular economy roadmap in motion toward “Chemicals Business for Sustainability”. It has recently unveiled its chemical recycling technology that can turn post-consumer plastics into renewable feedstock for petrochemical plants. It has set out to start-up Thailand’s first demonstration plant to bring about a sustainable solution for post-consumer plastic management and harness recycled feedstock for its upstream petrochemical plants.

Mr. Tanawong Areeratchakul, President of Chemicals Business, SCG, revealed the progress of the circular economy roadmap, “Chemicals Business has aligned our business practices with sustainable development where innovation and plastic recycling technologies are identified as key drivers. In 2021, our circular economy roadmap comprises four major areas:

1. Design for Recyclability, i.e., developing innovative plastic resins and solutions to enhance recyclability while maintaining all of their physical properties.
2. Post-consumer recycled resin (PCR) 
3. Chemical Recycling, i.e., production of renewable feedstock for the petrochemical industry
4. Development of bioplastics

The roadmap covers an entire range of supply chain from plastic resin design, which aims to minimize resource usage yet maintaining the effectiveness of the material, to post-consumer plastic recycling with advanced technologies and innovations. 

The roadmap’s latest progress is the development of chemical recycling technology that turns post-consumer plastics into recycled feedstock for virgin plastic resin production. The achievement is in line with the circular economy and sustainability goals. This advanced technology utilizes catalyst to promote energy saving and environmental friendliness for the recycling process, e.g., lower process temperature and will help improve Thailand’s domestic plastic waste management. Chemicals Business has constructed Thailand’s first demonstration plant in its complex in Rayong. The demonstration plant will produce approximately 4,000 tons of recycled feedstock per year. The capacity expansion plan is at hand.

For this development, Chemicals Business has partnered with a technology startup to co-develop the recycling technology and co-establish Circular Plas Co., Ltd. to operate plastic recycling business using chemical recycling process. A subsidiary of Chemicals Business, SCG, holds a 60% stake while the partner holds the remaining 40% stake.