The Asia Responsible Enterprise Awards (AREA) 2023 is pleased to honor 78 outstanding business leaders and enterprises for championing sustainable and responsible business practices. Presented by leading regional NGO Enterprise Asia, the AREA is the most reputable award recognition program recognizing organizational efforts to create a culture of compassion, integrity, and in being socially responsible corporate citizens. The AREA serves as a badge of excellence to spur further innovation and best-practice for sharing about the organization and the world at large.
IRPC Public Company Limited (IRPC) was among the recipients who were conferred with the Circular Economy Leadership Award. IRPC is a Southeast Asian integrated petrochemical pioneer, located in the Rayong Industrial Zone. IRPC operates in three core businesses: petroleum, petrochemicals, and asset and utility management businesses including industrial estates, deep-sea ports, oil tank farms, and power plants.
IRPC has applied the principles of circular economy to its management and operation process in the environmental dimension. This management strategy still adheres to the concept of the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle). The company focuses on creating a network to reuse Post Industrial Recycled (PIR) and Post Consumer Recycled (PCR) plastic waste as well as using natural products for maximum benefits.
Under its “From Wastes to Walk” program, IRPC has implemented the prosthetic leg project by donating polypropylene to the Prostheses Foundation of Her Royal Highness the Princess Mother (Prostheses Foundation). About 8 tons of plastic have been used per year to produce prosthetics for the disabled at no cost since 2011.
Prostheses production creates a large amount of plastic waste. This caused problems for manufacturing agencies of prosthetics and orthoses (devices used to enhance the functions of problematic organs) in managing and disposing plastic waste. Since 2019, IRPC has collected non-contaminated polypropylene plastic parts leftover from the production of prosthetics. Recycled Polypropylene was also found to have suitable properties that can be used to produce orthoses such as foot and ankle splints.
The “From Wastes to Walk” project has reused 1 ton of leftover polypropylene plastic parts from the production of prostheses and the sub-standard polypropylene plastic from IRPC and forwarded to Eastern Polypack Co., Ltd.(IRPC’s customer) to produce plastic sheets. These plastic wastes were able to produce 800 Ankle Foot Orthosis (AFO) for patients and people with disabilities.
Moreover, this project helps reduce the problem of wasteful resources and global warming, manage the organization’s resources more efficiently, and improve the quality of life of people with disabilities and poor patients by enabling access to orthoses.
Plastic is one of the materials essential to human daily life. However, the declaration of zero carbon emissions by 2050 has pushed the world to use more products with recycled content. Therefore, planning for more cost-effective uses of plastic and managing plastic waste is still something that has to be worked towards globally.
IRPC’s policies apply the principles of circular economy to the management and operation process forsustainability. The company will continue to focus on using Post Industrial Recycled (PIR) and Post Consumer Recycled (PCR) plastic waste to reduce plastic waste that causes problems to the environment and create benefits and support medical equipment for people with disabilities and underprivileged patients.
Finally, cooperation with its network partners to jointly implement the project made it so successful. For the future of the “From Wastes to Walk” project, IRPC will continue to expand network alliances and cooperate with other relevant agencies to help and support plastic waste management. Such assistance to the medical sector must be supported continuously so that people can access treatment and medical equipment to create shared value in the society and environment for sustainability.
About Enterprise Asia
Enterprise Asia is a non-governmental organization in pursuit of creating an Asia that is rich in entrepreneurship as an engine toward sustainable and progressive economic and social development within a world of economic equality. Its two pillars of existence are investment in people and responsible entrepreneurship. Enterprise Asia works with governments, NGOs and other organizations to promote competitiveness and entrepreneurial development, in uplifting the economic status of people across Asia and in ensuring a legacy of hope, innovation and courage for the future generation. Please visit https://www.enterpriseasia.org/ for more information.
About Asia Responsible Enterprise Awards (AREA)
The Asia Responsible Enterprise Awards program recognizes and honors Asian businesses for championing sustainable and responsible entrepreneurship in the categories of Green Leadership, Investment in People, Health Promotion, Social Empowerment, Corporate Governance, Circular Economy Leadership, Corporate Sustainability Reporting, and Responsible Business Leadership. For more information, visit: https://enterpriseasia.org/area/.