PACKAGING COMMITMENT

Packaging
Commitment

Packaging
Guideline

Packaging
Materials
PACKAGING AND CIRCULAR ECONOMY
ThaiBev adheres to the circular economy principle and considers all environmental and social impacts arising from its packaging, from design to post-consumption packaging management. To help achieve more sustainable packaging management, ThaiBev focuses on five actions:
  • Optimization of packaging weight and volume
  • Post-consumption packaging collection and sorting
  • Reuse and recycle
  • Innovation and product design
  • Stakeholder collaboration
1
Optimization of
packaging weight and volume
ThaiBev works with its business partners to develop packaging that uses fewer natural resources while maintaining quality and functionality.

For instance, by 2030, ThaiBev is determined to reduce the amount of raw materials used for aluminium can production by 2,700 tons compared to 2020.

Reduce
raw materials used for aluminum can production by
2,700 tons
Packaging reduction initiatives in 2021

Reduce the weight of PET bottles used in est brand carbonated soft drinks, which led to reduction of plastic consumption by
11 tons

Optimization of dimension and thickness of shrink film used for packing bottled drinking waters under Crystal brand and beverages under est brand, leading to reduction of plastic consumption by
41 tons

Reduce the thickness and volume of plastic bags used in food business, leading to reduction of plastic consumption by
3.4 tons

2
Post-consumption packaging
collection and sorting
A crucial part of closed-loop packaging management is to collect and sort post-consumption packaging. Thai Beverage Recycle Co., Ltd. (TBR), a subsidiary of ThaiBev, is task with ThaiBev’s post-consumption packaging collected via local business partners throughout the country and sorts them at company-owned sorting facilities. Main packaging materials retrieved by TBR include glass bottles, cullet, aluminium cans, PET bottles, and corrugated cartons.

TBR Recycling Facility in Nakon Ratchasima (left) and Ayutthaya (right)

3
Reuse and recycle
In order to ensure efficient closed-loop post-consumption packaging management, TBR sends sorted post-consumption packaging directly to intended users, such as manufacturers and recyclers.

Glass contributes to the highest volume of key packaging material consumption at ThaiBev. It is used to package various products, including white spirits, blended spirits, whisky, brandy, beer, carbonated soft drink, drinking water, etc. In FY2021, ThaiBev reused over 1,277 million glass bottles, and collected 207,688 tons of cullet to be recycled. The amount collected is equivalent to 82 percent of returnable glass bottle products sold by the company in Thailand.

PERCENTAGE OF GLASS PACKAGING RETRIEVED

PERCENTAGE OF PAPER PACKAGING RETRIEVED

CAN 2 CAN
In 2019, ThaiBev has initiated the “Can 2 Can” project, a cooperative effort between ThaiBev and its direct supplier, the aluminum can manufacturer, and an indirect supplier, the aluminum sheet manufacturer. Since the program started, 3,760 tons of aluminum cans have been retrieved which amounts to 250 million cans have been retrieved through this closed-loop packaging management scheme. This initiative enable ThaiBev to increase the use of recycled material in our packaging and ensure that recyclable packaging is actually recycled. Currently, the recycled content of aluminum can use in ThaiBevs production is, on average, 61% by weight.

30%

of aluminum cans sold in FY2021 were retrieved for recycling (by weight)

ALUMINIUM LOOP

To further our commitment on ensuring that recyclable are actually recycled, TBR signed an MOU on “Transparency of Aluminum Can Closed-Loop Recycling” which aims to establish a fully integrated recycling system used aluminum can in Thailand. In order to increase the efficiency of collection and sorting process to improve the quality of used aluminum cans. As well as increasing the recycling rate and the proportion of recycled content in aluminum cans production. ThaiBev also promote recycling of used beverage can through to consumers by advertising ‘Aluminium Loop’ on one of our products, Chakulza, carbonated green tea, and est cola, carbonated soft drinks. More information on aluminium loop


4
Innovation and product design

ThaiBev established BevTech Co., Ltd. (BevTech) as a Research and Development centre with one branch, the Packaging Business, that develops sustainable packaging and alternatives.

BevTech also researches machines and robotics to facilitate automation in ThaiBev’s production facilities. The Packaging Business is responsible for end-to end packaging management, from conceptual design, materials selection to packaging production process development to minimize both environmental and social impacts.

The following factors are considered in BevTech’s packaging development:
  • Specification
  • Law and Regulation
  • Material Availability
  • Cost and Benefit
  • Environmental Impacts
  • Energy Consumption
  • Safety

BevTech’s major achievement in recent years has been the implementation of an automated bottle-sorting conveyor belt and the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) bottle-sorting technology through collaboration with CMKL University, a top-tier research institute established as a collaboration between King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL) and Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), world's leading university on AI technology.

5
Stakeholder
collaboration
ThaiBev engages with stakeholders throughout its value chain to ensure end-to-end sustainable packaging management. It also works closely with TIPMSE (Thailand Institute of Packaging and Recycling Management for Sustainable Environment) of The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) and has assigned representatives to the TIPMSE Executive Board. ThaiBev also recently joined TIPMSE in developing the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme for Thailand. The EPR working team is comprised of academics and members of the private sector.

ThaiBev and its subsidiaries, along with 50 leading companies and NGOs, signed an MOU to further drive the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) initiative in Thailand, in line with the national agenda of resource management in the circular economy as well as Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) Economy.

Mr. Kosit Suksingha, (Top row in the middle) ThaiBev’s Executive Vice President, Vice Chairman of FTI and Chairman of TIPMSE, spoke at an online seminar under the topic “EPR, survival tool for Thai businesses and the way towards a circular economy.” organized by TIPMSE and its partners of over 50 organizations.