A recent study by Social Value Thailand (SVTH) highlights the significance of a project led by Indorama Ventures (IVL) in 2021 in the fight against Covid-19.

In partnership with 14 organisations and 1,597 stakeholders, IVL arranged the donation of 8,000 PPE suits and 1,000 bedding sets made from 9.35 tons of recycled post-consumer PET bottles. Fully recycled PET fibres were woven into fabrics, which were coated to be water-repellent and to prevent infiltration by viruses.

What made the PPE suits unique was that they were not only certified by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Textile Institute of Thailand, but were reusable and washable up to 20 times, further reducing environmental waste commonly associated with single-use disposable PPE items.

The SVTH study shows that the use of recycled PET to create the medical equipment eliminated 244.48 tons of CO2 emissions – the equivalent of planting 27,142 trees – and because they could be safely washed and re-used, the disposal of 240,000 PPE suits was prevented.

SVTH, part of a global network focused on social value and impact measurement and management, analysed the social return on investment (SROI) of IVL’s PPE distribution project during its full cycle. The success has enhanced confidence in the safety of recycled PET products.

“IVL wanted to provide tangible ways to use recycling to support medical professionals and a circular economy,” said Yash Lohia, chairman of ESG Council at Indorama Ventures. “This study proves that post-consumer PET bottles are fully recyclable and bring more value to such products in terms of hygiene and quality. 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 as an important way to reduce waste.”

“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,” added Sakulthip Kiratiphantawong, executive director at SVT. “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. In terms of the economy, the project resulted in 23.7% of total value creation, mainly by driving the supply chain of products especially for medical applications. In addition, it reduces the cost of purchasing PPE suits and PET plastic waste management in the community.

“Importantly, there was a strong environmental impact with the project, and it was also able to reduce landfill waste by more than nine tons. 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.”

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