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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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Clariant HYDROCEROL® CFA Masterbatches cut plastics content in packaging by 10%

Clariant HYDROCEROL CFA Masterbatches Cut Plastics Content in Packaging by 10%. (Photo: Clariant)

Muttenz –HYDROCEROL the newest chemical foaming agents (CFAs) from Clariant’s Masterbatches helps packaging producers develop more sustainable containers by enhancing recyclability, promoting reusability, increasing acceptance of compostable and bio-based polymers, and reducing overall plastics content. The finer and more durable foam-cell structures make it possible to cut resin use and reduce part weight – without significant loss in mechanical properties.

Added to plastics during processing, HYDROCEROL chemical foaming agents decompose to produce bubbles in the polymer matrix when pressure is reduced as the resin enters the mold or exits the extrusion die. Because the gas displaces the polymer, it takes less plastic to make a bottle. Material-use reductions of 10% or more have been reported in mono-layer and coextruded bottles and sheet. At the same time, the CFA plasticizes the resin in the processing machine, so less heat needs to be added to melt it (energy savings); less heat has to be removed during cooling, so cycle times are also reduced, often by 10 to 15%.

Controlled light-weighting for packaging
Mini-pellets achieve a more homogenous foam structure
Positive effect on carbon footprint

HYDROCEROL masterbatches are available in the form of mini pellets. Less than half the size of standard pellets, mini pellets make it possible to achieve a more homogeneous and finer foam structure at low dosages. This allows for a more accurate dilution of the additive and hence a more constant weight per bottle.

Improved Foam Technology
Foaming is not new. It has been used extensively in construction components, home and garden furniture and luggage and more recently in automotive interior parts, to reduce weight and raw material use. But acceptance in packaging applications has been limited by a relatively coarse and non-uniform cell structure that affected appearance and mechanical strength, especially in thinner wall sections.The improved CFA technology used in the new HYDROCEROL masterbatches now makes it possible to achieve a highly uniform structure of cells as small as 20-100 micrometers in diameter. This compares very favorably to the 400 micrometers typical of first-generation foams and even the 200 micrometers, which was considered “fine” until recently.

This means there is no significant appearance or performance difference between structures produced with CFA versus those made without it. Yet the benefits of reduced part weight and lower production costs are undeniable.