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Study: COVID-19 fight helped by recycled PET, while boosting plastic waste management
After two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, Thailand and the rest of the world are easing restrictions as we transform towards an ‘Endemic’. But while there have been countless difficulties and effects related to the virus, it has presented many learnings too. One of them came from a recent study by Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited (IVL), a global sustainable chemical company, showing how using recycled plastic bottles to create world-class medical equipment was proven helpful in not only the COVID-19 fight, but also as a way to support ongoing plastic waste management.
In a pilot project tested in 2021, IVL, in partnership with 14 organizations and 1,597 stakeholders, organized the donation of 8,000 PPE suits and 1,000 bedding sets, made from 9.35 tons of recycled post-consumer PET bottles. They were then woven into fully recycled polyester fabrics, which were coated to be water-repellent to prevent infiltration by viruses.
What made the PPE suits unique was that they were not only certified by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Textile Institute of Thailand. But the medical-grade PPE products were reusable and washable up to 20 times, further reducing environmental waste commonly associated with single-use disposable PPE items.
A study executed by Social Value Thailand (SVTH) on the impact of the program shows that by using recycled PET to create the medical equipment, they reduced 244.48 tons of CO2 emissions, the equivalent of planting 27,142 trees. And the 8,000 suits, because they can be safely washed and re-used, meant that they reduced the use of disposable PPE suits by up to 240,000 suits. SVTH, part of a global network focused on social value and impact measurement and management, analyzed the Social Return on Investment (SROI) of IVL’s PPE Distribution Project during its full cycle. The success has led to the pilot project and case studies that enhance their confidence in the safety of recycled PET products.
At the same time, they also reduce the amount of waste from medical treatment and services. This provided tangible proof that post-consumer PET bottles are fully recyclable and able to bring more value to recycled PET products as recognized by medical personnel in terms of hygiene and quality.
"IVL wanted to leverage our know-how and expertise in the PET recycling business to support medical personnel and infected patients by joining forces with partners to produce innovative PPE suits and bedding sets made from PET recycled yarns. As medical and plastic waste increased during the pandemic, IVL wanted to provide tangible ways to use recycling to support medical professionals and a circular economy. This reflects the proof that post-consumer PET bottles are fully recyclable and bring more value to the types of recycled PET products in terms of hygiene and quality," said Yash Lohia, Chairman of ESG Council at Indorama Ventures.
Sakulthip Kiratiphantawong, Executive Director at Social Value Thailand, the organization that conducted the study, said, "Based on the SROI assessment results of IVL's donation of PPE suits made from recycled PET yarns, the project generated 7.55 times the impact socially and economically. Firstly, social values accounted for 72.6% of total benefits. The study shows that the medical community is confident in using PPE suits made from recycled PET yarns, helping reduce medical waste. It also reflected increased awareness and behavioral changes that people felt confident in the cleanliness and beneficial usage of recycled PET. In terms of the economy, it resulted in 23.7% of total value creation, mainly by driving the supply chain of products made from fully recycled PET, especially for medical applications. In addition, it reduces the cost of purchasing PPE suits and PET plastic waste management in the community or society."
"Importantly, there was a strong environmental impact with the project, enabling reductions in the amount of PET bottle waste in communities or organizations, and reducing the use of disposable PPE by up to 240,000 suits. It was also able to reduce landfill waste by more than nine tons and demonstrate the beneficial usage of recycled PET. These results reflect the mechanism initiated by IVL that enhances collaboration between sectors to drive shared value creation and resolve complex issues. Additionally, the project aligns with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12 (SDG12), which aims to create collaboration within society, community, and consumers," said Sakulthip.
In addition, the study showed that the recycled PET PPE suits are trusted by the medical community for their reusability. The success has led to the pilot project and case studies that enhance confidence in the safety of recycled PET products. At the same time, being able to reduce the amount of waste from medical treatment and services.
"IVL commits to our goal of increasing recycling capacity to 50 billion bottles per year by 2025. We are ready to work with partners to create a sustainable circular economy for plastics and intend to play an important role in developing the value chain of recycled products, an important way to reduce waste. This PPE project shows that recycled PET can make a strong contribution to the medical field and gives a strong use-case for the broader benefits that recycled PET can offer," Yash concluded.