Thai and U.S. firms build a house from plastic waste

To demonstrate the potential of upcycling for sustainability, the local unit of America’s Proctor and Gamble (P&G) teamed up with Thailand’s PTT Global Chemical (PTTGC) and students to build a house from plastic refuse collected on beaches and will donate the dwelling to Habitat for Humanity.

More than 150 P&G employees joined 33 students and two teachers from Song Klong Temple School to clean a local beach in Hua Hin province, about three hours south of Bangkok. They scooped up 25 pounds of plastic waste, which was added to other plastic refuse and converted to plastic pellets used to construct the house. United Nations (UN) Habitat for Humanity will give the home to a needy family.

“P&G is committed to being a force for good in the world. Here in Thailand, we will continue to find ways to reduce, reuse and recycle plastic waste with the help of our partners, such as PTTGC,” said Mr. Arpan Gupta, Managing Director of P&G Manufacturing Thailand.

Thailand has become deeply concerned with plastic pollution, particularly in the oceans. Public consciousness about the danger of plastic waste rose two years ago when a pilot whale washed up on Thai beach and died after consuming plastics as it swam through the oceans.

“The upcycling of plastic waste from the ocean into a plastic house is just one of the many ways we can help protect our environment. I hope it inspires more Thais to play their part in taking care of our oceans,” Gupta said.

Turning the tide on plastic pollution is just one aspect of Thailand’s push to create a circular economy and achieve greater sustainability. The UN has said that Thailand leads the region in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Photo courtesy of http://thainews.prd.go.th/th/news/detail/TCATG200131135624217