BANGKOK – C asean partnered with Thailand Supply Chain Network (TSCN) and the ASEAN Centre for Sustainable Development Studies and Dialogue (ACSDSD) to host the C asean Forum with the theme “ASEAN Action Towards Circular Economy: Move Forward with Extended Producer Responsibility” on March 28, 2024 at C asean on the 10th floor of CW Tower in Bangkok.
The C asean Forum was held to nurture collaborative and informed dialogues, inspiring actionable strategies for adopting Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in Thailand and throughout the ASEAN region.
The forum brought together a diverse array of perspectives and experiences from real practitioners and sought to develop a roadmap for integrating EPR principles into national policies, industry practices, and community initiatives. International experts, along with representatives from prominent Thai organizations that spearhead the implementation of EPR principles, shared their insights and real-world experiences on stage. The discussions underscored the significance of responsible practices throughout the lifecycle of their products, aligning with the principles of the circular economy.
During the opening remark, Ms. Tongjai Thanachanan, Managing Director of C asean, highlighted the importance of EPR in the transformation journey that ASEAN needs to take as it combats environmental challenges such as waste management and rapid resource depletion.
“Several ASEAN member states are considering or implementing EPR initiatives tailored to their context. By sharing best practices and experiences today, we can facilitate the development of practical and effective EPRs as more countries adopt these policies.
Today, we are honored to welcome leading experts in EPR and circular economy, who will share their insights and inspire us on how we can drive transformative change in our ASEAN region. We will hear from distinguished international speakers on topics ranging from an overview of circular economy for the ASEAN region to EPR learnings from EU experiences, as well as a panel discussion on how we can promote EPR in Thailand and across ASEAN countries.”
She continued, “Most importantly, we would like to thank the ASEAN Centre for Sustainable Development Studies and Dialogue, or ACSDSD, as well as Thailand Supply Chain Network, which serves as a beacon of Thailand’s commitment to sustainable development and responsible resource management for their tireless collaboration to make this event happen.
We hope that our gathering today will mark the beginning of a collaborative endeavor that helps integrate EPR principles and learnings into our national policies, industry standards, and community initiatives. Let us all join hands together with determination and resolve.”
Mr. Patinya Silsupadol, Deputy Secretary General and Executive Board of TIPMSE commented, “EPR is a principle which encourages producers to extend their responsibilities towards their products throughout the value chain. In Thailand, we are not only focused on the retrieval, but also put much effort into product design, communication with consumers about post-consumption packaging, and the retrieval and sorting systems for post-consumption packaging.
Currently, the government is advancing EPR-related legislation and welcomes the private sector to participate in developing an effective retrieval system. With clear EPR legislation in place, we will demonstrate that the proper collection and sorting of wastes can input high-quality materials into the system, tremendously reducing production costs.
Without an adequate system, we may face shortages of materials or incur taxes and fees for waste management. This underscores the significance of EPR principles, which enable the private sector to collaborate in creating a circular economy and achieving favorable outcomes.”
In the morning sessions, Mr. Kai Hofmann, Program Head at Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH shared his unique perspectives in a session titled “Circular Economy for the ASEAN Region.” Following this, Asst. Prof. Dr.Panate Manomaivibool, a partner of the EU SWITCH-Asia Programme, provided insights in a session titled “EPR Learning from EU Experiences.”
Dr. Panate later returned to the stage to participate in a panel discussion titled “Promoting EPR Across ASEAN,” alongside Mr. Carlo Delantar, Founder of Circular Economy Philippines; Mr. Rocky Pairunan from WRI Indonesia; and Dr. Anthony Pramualratana from ACSDSD.
The afternoon sessions commenced with the topic “Thailand National EPR,” presented by Mr. Patinya Silsupadol, Deputy Secretary General and Executive Board of TIPMSE. The session was followed by more intriguing topics, including “Financial Mechanism for Thailand’s Circular Economy: Regulatory Perspective” by Mr. Pavich Kesavawong, Deputy Director General of the Department of Climate Change and Environment, and “Financial Mechanism for Thailand’s Circular Economy: Funding Perspective” by Reiko Kubota, Senior Environmental Engineer from the World Bank.
The afternoon concluded with a practitioner panel discussion focusing on the topic “Advancing Sustainable Recycling.” This panel featured Mr. Soonthorn Yongvibulsiri, the ESG and Sustainability Director at SCG Packaging Public Company Limited; Ms. Salinla Seehaphan, Corporate Affairs Director at Nestlé (Thai) Company Limited; Ms. Kitiya Santaveesuk, Head of Sustainability at Thai Beverage Can Ltd.; and Ms. Vijitar Supakong, Vice President – Sustainability and Risk Management at Berli Jucker Public Company Limited.
The C asean Forum was sponsored by Thai Beverage Public Company Limited, West Rock (Thailand) Co., Ltd., and Starprint Public Company Limited.
