Breaking down a great idea
The Thai firm Biodegradable Packaging for Environment seeks to put a dent in the nation’s mountain of plastic waste, writes
The easing of the pandemic was not only good for the economy, but also a campaign against single-use plastic bags and styrofoam containers. Biodegradable Packaging for Environment (BPE) predicts bright prospects for its business, which grew out of a concern about the impact plastic and styrofoam garbage have on the environment and human health.
BPE is a Thai manufacturer of food and beverage containers made from agricultural refuse.
The Thai government initiated a policy to ban single-use plastic bags in 2018 and started by asking retailers not to hand them out to shoppers from Jan 1, 2020.
However, the campaign was suspended when Thailand resorted to lockdown measures to contain the contagious Covid-19 virus later that same year.
The guidelines to stay and work from home led to a boom for food delivery services, which subsequently demanded more plastic bags and styrofoam containers.
Efforts to limit uses of these materials are expected to return post-pandemic.
Physician-turned-businessman Weerachat Kittirattanapaiboon, chief executive of BPE, said he believes green businesses, especially those involving biodegradable products, will resume growth next year following a slowdown during the pandemic.
CONCERN-DRIVEN GROWTH
The alarming impact of plastic garbage on humans and animals is among the factors driving demand for the biodegradable products that BPE offers.
Earlier this year, Dr Weerachat cited a warning from scientists that microplastics were found for the first time in human blood following a new study into blood samples of anonymous healthy adult volunteers.
The tiny plastic particles, which can derive from the breakdown of larger plastics and commercial product development, can enter organs, leading to harmful health consequences.
The study, published in the Environment International Journal in March this year, found that 17 of 22 blood samples drawn from a group of volunteers in the Netherlands, or 77%, had some concentration of microplastics, according to media reports.
He said people’s concern about the impact of plastic garbage tapered during the pandemic.
If garbage from plastic food packaging, face masks and some single-use medical equipment used during the pandemic is not properly disposed of, it can make its way into the environment, harming various species, said Dr Weerachat.
One example was a baby dugong named Mariam. She was declared dead in August 2019 after veterinarians failed to cure her illness, which escalated after plastic garbage clogged
her intestines.
The one-year-old female marine mammal was believed to have become separated from her mother before swimming after a boat, which led her to the Krabi shoreline.
She had been under the care of veterinarians before they found a serious infection that was complicated by plastic garbage.
SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION
Many attempts have been made to deal with plastic waste that is scarcely decomposed, but a majority of them are not considered to be good solutions, he said.
Dr Weerachat warned that some plastic packaging that claims to be degradable can do more harm than good because when it breaks down, it turns to microplastics that can pollute the environment.
These plastic materials are not biodegradable, so they are not eco-friendly, he said.
BPE has adopted a more sustainable approach to deal with plastic and styrofoam garbage by using agricultural materials to make a wide variety of biodegradable food containers.
When these containers are used and become garbage, they will decompose and can be eventually used as organic fertiliser for plants, said Dr Weerachat.
The company produces eco-friendly containers under the Gracz brand, aiming to replace styrofoam and plastic containers, which are popular with street food vendors, but are not good for the environment.
BPE started operations in 2005, with revenue
initially coming from exports. The company’s products became more popular in the domestic market in 2016.
BPE developed new products in addition to plates and bowls during the pandemic. These include food boxes, tiffin boxes, hot and cold drink cups and straws, all of which are produced from biodegradable materials.
The company also designed special packaging materials, including a fresh durian package that can contain the strong smell during transport, and a plate that can absorb cooking oil from deep-fried food.
BPE uses a variety of raw materials produced from agricultural refuse. As well as the sugar cane fibre it used initially, the company now utilises rice straw, coconut sheath, palm oil, bamboo, pineapple, water hyacinth and, most recently, durian sheath and hemp in its packaging manufacturing.
The company also cultivates organic bananas on a 100-rai plot near its factory in order to export packaging made of banana leaves.
Such materials were once popular among Thais, but were later replaced by styrofoam and plastic containers because of the low cost for this form of packaging and an insufficient supply of banana leaves.
BPE also diversified into producing packaging for products such as toys, garments and some single-use medical equipment.
The number of its product types is growing, but the objective to deal with plastic and styrofoam garbage remains unchanged, according to Dr Weerachat.
When our containers are used and become garbage, they will decompose and can be eventually used as organic fertiliser for plants. WEERACHAT KITTIRATTANAPAIBOON CHIEF EXECUTIVE, BIODEGRADABLE PACKAGING FOR ENVIRONMENT