The collaboration project between Kao Industrial (Thailand) Co., Ltd., Kao Consumer Products (Southeast Asia) Co., Ltd., Kanebo Cosmetic (Thailand), YOUTURN, a waste management platform initiated by GC (PTT Global Chemical Public Company Limited) and their Alliances to Upcycling of used PET bottles for PPE Suits of medical teams against COVID-19 Pandemic.

COVID-19 Pandemic in Thailand recently has passed the peak of highest infection and death on Aug 13^th, 2021, of 23,418 infectors, and on Aug 18^th, 2021, of 312 people, respectively. Since then, the trend slightly keeps down trend but still in high level. This situation impact to Front-line medical teams those who keep working hard since 2020 and being responsible for PCR-test and pro-active cases finding to stop the spread and clusters, and some of them are healing infectors in the field hospital and hospital, closely supervising severe cases who being treated in ICU with ventilator, make medical team always in high risk as close-contact person. So far, many medical teams accidentally got infected and need a lot of PPE suits (PPE stands for Personnel Protection Equipment) for fully self-protection in their daily work.

In high infection period, PPE for medical team is sometimes insufficient and price is relatively high. With the right timing of combination between this social issue about pandemic and he Kao Group Mid-term Plan 2025 (K25) "Sustainability as the only path" and focusing on "Save Lives, Protect people" spark our idea and make this collaboration project happen, this project is not only "Save lives, Protect people", but also help building sustainable environment through Circular economy of used PET bottles with all employees involvement from 3 companies, Kao Industrial (Thailand) Co., Ltd. in Head office, Factory, Distribution center and Sale office in Bangkok, Kao Consumer Products (Southeast Asia) Co., Ltd., and Kanebo Cosmetic (Thailand).

The initiative is facing big challenge, the issue is that we don't have our own know-how for upcycling technology & innovation, we finally could find partners who are expertise in Innovation of upcycling, name PTT Global Chemical (who are the big Petrochemical manufacturer) with their alliances who initiate "YOUTERN" (waste management platform), we approach them with our intent of company mission and vision and asked them to join as collaboration project for social contribution. The deal happened, Kao group will help collecting used PET bottles with 6 drop points, PTTGC and their alliances will collect used PET bottles in bulk from each drop point to their factory for upcycling process, however they have to adjust some processes by making plastic yarn from used PET bottles for Level-2 of PPE suits that being used by Doctors and Front-line personnel.

Basically, PTT Global Chemical run project through "YOUTERN" waste management platform and invite partners who have the same direction in promoting of Circular economy by managing the waste throughout the product life cycle. YOUTERN platform will collect used PET Bottles from each drop points existed in Bangkok and surrounding areas to Upcycling process for Level-2 of PPE suits, fortunately Kao could meet their criteria, then this collaboration project has started.

As the collaboration project, we aim to produce PPE suits from used PET bottles, totally 500 and plan to donate to medical team by President of three companies together with representatives from partners in the first quarter of 2022 that required collecting of used PET Bottles from 6 drop points of Kao group, totally 9,000 Bottles from September 27^th – Dec. 15^th, 2021. Achievement of this project is not only contributed to Society but also could "REDUCE" some plastic pollution in Thailand as well as "REDUCE" virgin plastic consumption of 144 Kg, more or less.

Even this is just a small target and small step to "REDUCE" plastic waste and contibute to society but it's a good start to reflect our walk the talk "Sustainability as the only path".