SUEZ to Build Plastics Recycling Plant in Thailand

SUEZ announced it will build a recycling plant that turns plastic waste into circular polymers in the Bang Phli district near Bangkok, Thailand. This plant will contribute to Thailand’s ambitious 2030 target to achieve 100 percent plastic recycling.

The plant will convert 30,000 tons per year of locally collected polyethylene film waste into high-quality post-consumer recycled plastic (PCR). The plant will be equipped with an advanced water treatment system that minimizes water usage and will meet the highest level of local environmental standards, according to the company. Part of the energy used by the plant is powered by rooftop solar panels. Construction work is expected to be completed by mid-2020.

“In Thailand, 2 million tons of plastic waste are produced per year and only a quarter is recycled. As a leader in plastics recycling in Europe, SUEZ will fully utilize its technological expertise to support the country in meeting its objective of reducing plastic waste, thus contributing to ocean preservation,” said Ana Giros, senior executive of the VP Group in charge of the International Division, in a statement.

Plastics recycling is a key market for SUEZ. Each year, the group said it processes nearly 400,000 tons of plastic waste in nine specialist facilities in Europe and produces 150,000 tons of circular polymers. SUEZ is also among the founding members of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, an international initiative launched in January 2019 to end plastic waste in the environment, especially in the ocean.

This new plant is part of the group's development strategy in Southeast Asia, where it has been supporting regional countries in improving their drinking water, sanitation and waste management services in response to a rapidly growing population. Since 2017, SUEZ has won the contracts to build an industrial waste-to-energy plant in Thailand, extend the Medan drinking water production plant in Indonesia and enhance sanitation services in Vietnam’s southern province of Hau Giang.