By Nareeta Martin on Unsplash
Through B2B models, companies can establish waste management infrastructure that aligns with good practices, relevant legal standards, and have operations ranging from small-scale plastic shredders to medium-scale recycling facilities to large-scale power plants that generate energy from waste incineration. The waste management infrastructure can obtain waste from informal waste collectors, municipalities and industrial plants for processing, then sell products that are processed from the wastes to generate revenue. Waste management infrastructure often applies technology or partner with a waste management platform to increase efficiency and reduce costs. This IOA will help generate income for informal waste collectors and households, help reduce marine plastic pollution for the planet, incentivize recycling and reduce waste disposal from a more efficient and feasible waste management recycling process, help decrease the burden of municipalities in managing wastes, and help create economic value from wastes. Investors can invest money in machines and infrastructure for the companies that operate waste management infrastructure.
Zero Waste Yolo is a small business , founded in 2018, that produces small-scale waste processing machines which upcycles low-value plastic waste. The machines include plastic shredder, injection, and extruder machines. It also hosts workshops, and connects demand and supply of made-to-order products from upcycled materials, such as planting pots, saucers, medals and souvenirs (1).
Precious Plastic Bangkok is a non-profit organization that is a part of the global Precious Plastic, founded in Netherland in 2013 and started in Thailand in 2016. It operates small recycling facilities that upcycle HDPE and PP plastic waste into new value-added products. It also collects plastic waste, builds awareness, organizes workshops, and provides open source information on how to make small scale plastic waste processing machines (8).
Won project by TPBI, a large packaging company with over 40 years of experience, partnered with department stores and other businesses to collect low-value flexible plastic waste and recycle them within its facilities. Recycled products include reusable plastic bags and garbage bags. In third quarter 2021, the total revenue was USD 42 million (THB 1.4 billion), 63.87% from export market and international sales in Myanmar, England, and Australia (13).
Wongpanit is a large recycling business over 48-year-experience that can recycle hazardous waste, construction materials, RDF for electricity generation, etc. Moreover, it also offers training, workshops, and franchises for entrepreneurs to invest in their own small scale recycling and waste processing facilities (17).
Qualy is a 100% Thai-designed product brand that focuses on reducing waste and turning waste into creative and useful products. The company exports its products to 50 countries globally. The company uses the concept of sustainability in product design and development, taking into account the economy, society and environment. It aims to improve resource efficiency using principles of circular economy by recycling plastic waste and expanding cooperation with key stakeholders to improve awareness around conservation and waste management-related challenges (24).
This IOA helps increase resource efficiency and circular economy by recycling waste into new products.