C asean, in collaboration with TSCN and ACSDSD,organize the C asean Forum with the theme "ASEAN Action Towards Circular Economy: Move Forward with Extended Producer Responsibility"
Bangkok, 28 March 2024 - C asean continues its quest to strengthen ASEAN’s connectivity across various domains. This time, it partners with Thailand Supply Chain Network (TSCN) and the ASEAN Centre for Sustainable Development Studies and Dialogue (ACSDSD) to host C asean Forum with the theme "ASEAN Action Towards Circular Economy: Move Forward with Extended Producer Responsibility" on 28 March 2024 at C asean on the 10th floor of CW Tower in Bangkok.
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.
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.
In the morning sessions, Mr. Kai Hofmann, Program Head at Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH shared his unique perspectives in a session “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 “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 Mr. Rieko 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.
Informational and showcase booths from leading organizations were concurringly participated at the event, including Thailand Supply Chain Network (TSCN), PTT Global Chemical Public Company Limited, SCG Packaging Public Company Limited, Thai Beverage Public Company Limited, Sustainability Expo Company Limited, C asean, ASEAN Centre for Sustainable Development Studies and Dialogue (ACSDSD), Thailand Institute of Packaging and Recycling Management for Sustainable Environment (TIPMSE), Berli Jucker Public Company Limited, Thailand Beverage Can Ltd., Westrock (Thailand) Co., Ltd., Ecolab Co., Ltd. and Henkel (Thailand) Co., Ltd.
The C asean Forum was sponsored by Thai Beverage Public Company Limited, West Rock (Thailand) Co., Ltd., and Starprint Public Company Limited.