Kickstarting Thailand’s EPR Sandbox Project for Air Conditioners and Refrigerators
On October 25th, the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Sandbox Project officially launched in Thailand with a workshop and on-site training at Asia Green Rescrap, our partner facility. ALBA was honored to participate as the appointed Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) for this initiative, and the General Manager of ALBA Thailand, Khomphakhin Pattanachai, delivered the opening remarks and closing speech at the event.
Led by Chulalongkorn University’s Center of Excellence on Hazardous Substance Management (HSM), and supported by the Program Management Unit for Competitiveness (PMU-C) and co-sponsored by the National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT), the Sandbox Project brings together leading partners in the industry, including the Pollution Control Department (PCD), สภาอุตสาหกรรมแห่งประเทศไทย | The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), Khon Kaen University, Silpakorn University, Burapha University, the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT), the Department of Industrial Works (DIW), and the Electrical and Electronics Institute. Together with ALBA, this group forms the working committee for Thailand’s EPR scheme focused on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE).
The project aims to develop sustainable waste management for air conditioners and refrigerators, with four key objectives:
– Testing an organizational model to manage the entire waste process, from collection to disposal.
– Analyzing data on material flow, information, and costs according to EPR principles.
– Engaging stakeholders to optimize the supply chain and propose system enhancements.
– Developing online tools to ensure transparency, auditability, and accurate cost tracking within the EPR system.
This EPR Sandbox Project marks a significant step forward for Thailand in creating a sustainable framework for electronic waste management. We look forward to working closely with the dedicated working committee, bringing our extensive experience from Europe and Asia to support Thailand in building a robust and effective EPR system.
