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Bangkok – 25 February 2026: Marking the first-ever collaboration of three industry leaders, Taokaenoi Food & Marketing Public Company Limited, or TKN, a manufacturer of seaweed snacks distributed domestically and internationally, SCG Chemicals, or SCGC, a leading integrated polymer and solutions provider for sustainability, and Dow Thailand Group, or Dow, a global leader in materials science, have jointly announced the signing of a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to revolutionize the snack industry through the “Food-Grade Circular Packaging by Advanced Recycling Technology” project. This initiative aims to sustainably address plastic waste challenges under the concept of closed-loop recycling. This collaboration entails utilizing multi-layer packaging waste from the production processes of Taokaenoi, which was previously difficult to recycle. This waste will be processed using the advanced recycling technology of SCGC and converted back into circular feedstock. Following this, Dow will utilize the feedstock to produce new, clean, and food-grade plastic resins. These resins will then be safely used to manufacture food packaging for the Taokaenoi brand once again. It is anticipated that the packaging will be ready for commercial distribution by the end of 2026. Ms. Orrapat Peeradechapan, Chief Executive Officer of Taokaenoi Food & Marketing Public Company Limited, said, “Taokaenoi is committed to creating happiness for consumers through high-quality snacks, alongside prioritizing ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) principles by emphasizing sustainable economic, social, and environmental development. This collaboration represents a significant milestone that transforms the ‘challenge’ of hard-to-recycle packaging into an ‘opportunity’ to establish a practical circular economy. It is not merely about waste disposal, but rather about creating new value from used plastic. We do not only deliver great-tasting products, but we also aim to deliver a better world to consumers through eco-friendly packaging innovations that are clean, safe, and tangibly reduce environmental impacts. This will drive our business to grow alongside genuine sustainability.” Dr. Suracha Udomsak, Chief Operations and Innovation Officer of SCGC, said, “This collaboration reflects the capability of SCGC in utilizing advanced recycling technology to manage plastic packaging composed of multiple materials, which is difficult to recycle, and converting it back into circular feedstock. This feedstock can be used to produce new plastic resins (Certified Circular Polyolefin Resin), which possess properties and quality entirely equivalent to standard virgin plastic resins in all respects and are safe for direct food contact. As a result, the materials can be reused to manufacture food packaging for Taokaenoi. In addition, our process has achieved the globally recognized sustainability certification, ISCC PLUS (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification), throughout the entire supply chain, making SCGC the first company in ASEAN to achieve such certification. This partnership is considered a crucial step in driving SCGC’s goal of reintegrating used plastic into the circular economy system at a volume of 500,000 tons per year by 2030, through collaborations with business partners across the entire value chain.” Meanwhile, Mr. Vichan Tangkengsirisin, President of Dow Thailand, added, “As a materials science leader, Dow is proud to support this collaboration in Thailand by applying our technology to produce circular plastic resins from used flexible packaging feedstock with performance equivalent to fossil-based plastics. Dow Thailand Group’s polyethylene facility in Rayong is ISCC PLUS certified for its capability of converting advanced recycled feedstock into high quality, food grade circular resins. This initiative represents an important step toward closing the plastics loop in Thailand and advancing Dow’s sustainability ambition to transform the waste through collaboration with customers and value chain partners.” This collaboration serves as a model for the comprehensive management of used multi-layer plastic packaging. It reduces the accumulation of plastic waste in the country and decreases the consumption of new resources. This aligns with the sustainability goals of Taokaenoi, SCGC, and Dow, reinforcing the role of the business sector in tangibly driving the circular economy to build a sustainable future together.

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Frost & Sullivan highlights top 8 predictions to define the global plastics and composites market

Frost & Sullivan’s recent analysis, Industry Convergence to Transform the Global Plastics and Composites Market, Outlook 2021, reveals eight predictions for the global plastics and composites market. Despite the impact of COVID-19 in 2020, the industry is expected to rebound in 2021 due to the resumption of activities in its major end markets in line with progressive containment of the pandemic. Global revenue for the market is estimated to reach $558.71 billion in 2021, up from $533.04 billion in 2020, with a CAGR of 4.8%. The ongoing focus on the circular economy is likely to stimulate new regulations and product development in the plastics and composites sector.

“The recycling, re-use, and upcycling of plastics and composites are becoming key avenues for product development and value addition,” said Aditya Krishnan, Chemicals, Materials, and Nutrition Analyst at Frost & Sullivan. “The increasing relevance of energy efficiency and carbon neutrality goals will also drive new product design and development in several end-use sectors such as automotive, electronics, and consumer goods. Plastics and composites are expected to play an important part due to their versatile properties and longevity.”

Krishnan added: “The trend of reshoring, or having products manufactured locally, is expected to have a significant impact as manufacturers look to secure supply chains by building new facilities and expanding operations in key regions such as Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East.”

The eight key predictions shaping the global plastics and composites market are:

Sustainability will become the primary theme in new product development: The worldwide drive for greater sustainability will propel innovative strategies by global organizations that are end users of plastics and composites.
Single-use plastics will continue to experience high demand: A rise in doorstep delivery due to e-commerce and concerns regarding the spread of the pandemic will continue to drive the consumption of single-use plastics.
Supply chain disruption is paving the way for local-for-local manufacturing and operations: The COVID-19 pandemic is expected to continue to cause disruptions in the global plastic supply chain and a surge in demand for locally produced goods (local-for-local production or reshoring).
Changing work locations to create new opportunities for plastics and composites: The impact of digitalization of jobs and the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the work-from-home trend, which is expected to slow down urbanization and eventually trigger a de-urbanization trend, including modular offices.
Continued growth of additive manufacturing to drive the development of new products: The rapid growth of personalization is expected to drive additive manufacturing, especially for the 3D printing of consumer goods.
Resurgence of public events will create a demand for commodity plastics: The expected rise in public events such as trade shows and concerts will increase demand for products for individuals participating in the events and other plastics in related applications, such as temporary stalls and seating arrangements.
Evolving regulatory trends to improve energy efficiency will create new opportunities: Demand for energy-efficient solutions in building, construction and transportation and the implications of the European Green New Deal (GND) are expected to drive the market for plastics and composites.
Sudden surge in demand for improved food safety and traceability will open new avenues for development: Increasing demand for food safety and traceability due to future pandemic scenarios is expected to create new opportunities such as digitalized cold storage warehouses.