Empower to address marine plastic pollution challenges together with International GPN & Berhad & Wongpanit in Krabi, Thailand
Empower has partnered up with International GPN Berhad & with Wongpanit in Krabi, Thailand to address marine plastic pollution challenges.
The global increase in plastic consumption and waste results in severe health impacts for humans, among which microplastic is of great concern.
Given increasing regulations for more circular waste material value chains, there is a growing demand for recycled plastic from a range of different stakeholders. This is due to varying factors, from the new EU legislation regarding the use of virgin plastic to support recycling, extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes, and taxes on new plastic packaging. However, meeting such growing demand comes with its own challenges:
Challenges for plastic recycling:
- Availability of good quality plastic waste (raw material) in adequate quantities
- Not all types of recycled plastic have a market demand and hence good price
- Traceability of plastic waste in the supply chain
- Assurance from a credible agency that the plastic meets the various requirements for recycled plastic (regulatory buyers).
Empower team member Loup has participated in a roundtable with the IGPN Berhad & Wongpanit in Krabi, where a project pilot MoU was signed. The project aims to track and recycle waste in the town of Kucing in Sarawak region, one of the two-part of Malaysia in Borneo. Among the topics addressed was the development of a regional ocean and river plastic traceability & certification program using blockchain technology. The parties also discussed the mechanisms to incentivize communities that are directly involved in recycling activities.
“IGPN gathered interested parties for the best: with Wongpanit expertise and Empower/Pandolab cooperation, the pilot has the potential to become a case study of a successful and fully transparent waste management system at the city level. Thanks to blockchain technology, the scaling up phase should also bring its lot of benefits.” — Loup from Empower.
Successful cases and modalities from this pilot project will be developed jointly by International GPN Berhad, Wongpanit, Empower and Pandolab for implementation in interested countries.
The region of Sarawak, Malaysia is keen to implement the Wongpanit system of recycling and obtain a traceability certification. A team of policymakers from Sarawak joins this meeting to understand the modalities of transfer of technology and systems.
Empower is looking forward to this promising collaboration and believes with the strong commitment of parties for training and capacity building combined with enabling technology this will turn out to be an insightful opportunity for all!
