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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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Organic infant formula makers test new waters as sales soar in China

5 Dec 2019 – China – Organic infant formula sales continued to be the mainstay of high-end infant food product sales in China, as a growing number of parents are opting for safe and natural products in the country, experts said.

Buoyed by the rising demand, several multinational companies like Germany’s Hibb, Switzerland’s Nestle and its unit Wyeth are not only witnessing resurgent sales, but also promoting their products via new growth channels like e-commerce platforms.

German organic infant formula and baby products producer Hipp is looking to further expand its presence in the e-commerce market. The company, which witnessed annual growth of about 20 percent in China and is the largest organic food producer globally in terms of sales revenue, is set on becoming the top premium baby products brand in its second-largest market after Germany.

“We have seen a huge growth for our infant formula products. Infant formula designed for babies aged between 12 months to 36 months is the most popular product category,” said Stephan Hipp, global managing director and the fourth generation heir of Hipp, a family firm with over 120 years of history.

“When it comes to organic infant formula, this is a big chance for us to grow. We will promote more organic products in the country and we are confident about the growth potential,” he said.

Hipp said the organic farms of the company do not use chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and they artificially remove weeds and pests using the natural ecological chain.

Last year, the overall growth rate of the infant formula market in China was 10.8 percent year-on-year, while sales of organic infant formula products rose 46.8 percent year-on-year, according to Euromonitor International, a market research company.

On the other hand, Hipp has donated 10 million yuan ($1.4 million) this year to China Soong Ching Ling Foundation to help launch maternal and child care education classes nationwide and train more pediatricians in western China.

Meanwhile, Swiss food and drink provider Nestle, which launched its first organic full cream milk powder product under the Nido brand in China last year, is looking for further growth in the high-end organic dairy product market. The product was launched in China on a trial basis through cross-border e–commerce channels.

The Nido brand has been a member of the Nestle family with annual sales of over $1.04 billion. Since 1944, Nestle has been producing Nido milk powder in Switzerland.

According to data from Nielsen Consulting, 40 to 50 percent of Chinese consumers are willing to pay higher prices for natural, sustainable and organic products.

The latest organic full cream milk powder is also a positive response of Nestle to the changing demand of Chinese consumers, and is expected to provide an option of safe, high-quality organic milk powder to the public, said Roberto Reniero, head of Nestle’s research and development unit in China.

Besides, Wyeth, the baby and infant formula unit of Nestle, has introduced Illuma 3 organic products for Chinese parents since 2017. Its research released in October shows that the sales of organic infant and maternity products grew by 33 percent year-on-year in China, creating a generation of “organic mothers”.

US infant formula maker Mead-Johnson introduced its grass-fed Enfagrow to Chinese consumers this September. Grass-fed milk contributes to merely around 10 percent of the global milk pool, the company said. Grass-fed milk refers to the milk produced by cows that feed naturally in lush pastures and mainly feed on fresh leafy grass.

Unlike organic milk, grass-fed focuses on providing natural breeding environment for cows, allowing them to produce milk under natural living conditions.

Source: China daily