BITEC and SCGP to reinforce sustainable management practices in MICE industry using Circular Way

Panittha Buri, Managing Director of BITEC (right) and Danaidej Ketsuwan, SCGP Chief Financial Officer (left)

Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre (BITEC), a leading venue organiser in Thailand and Southeast Asia, partners with SCG Packaging Public Company Limited (SCGP) to launch the “We Draw the New World Together” campaign. The campaign’s goal is to promote environmental conservation by maximizing the usage of environmentally friendly products and waste materials from the events at BITEC in accordance with the Circular Economy. This is to drive sustainable management in efforts to support Thailand to become the ASEAN region’s MICE industry hub.

The “We Draw the New World Together” campaign focuses on maximizing the use of paper and plastics by developing and designing products that are durable, easy to use and can be recycled in a comprehensive way (Close-loop Management), including booth decoration accessories, meeting tools, equipment and packaging used at BITEC food and beverage events and exhibitions. The guideline applies not just to BITEC management, but also to subsidiaries such as About Food, BITEC’s food and beverage provider and SAMA, the organization in charge of the centre’s retail and establishments.

Panittha Buri, Managing Director of Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre (BITEC) said “BITEC operates the business in accordance with the BITEC Sustainability principles, with the goal of making the centre a sustainable MICE venue that addresses the economy, society and environment. The collaboration with SCGP strengthens our service capacity and advances our work by embracing the Circular Economy and encouraging changes in BITEC’s internal thinking and practices as well as allowing organisers, exhibitors and audiences to collaborate on using sufficient resources through reusing and recycling.”

Panittha Buri, Managing Director of Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre (BITEC)

Danaidej Ketsuwan, SCGP Chief Financial Officer, said “The concept of sustainable development is a strategy that SCGP has focused on continuing to manage its business. We believe that collaboration across sectors is key for transformation, thus it is a privilege to be working with BITEC to improve resource efficiency and waste management throughout the value chain. The collaboration focuses on employing innovative environmentally friendly materials for a variety of purposes and encouraging people to sort waste correctly and send it to the SCGP Recycle Drop Point for recycling. This results in an exhibition experience in the form of Event Sustainable Management and we believe that this initiative will aid in understanding and promoting resource-efficient behavior in accordance with the Circular Economy for global sustainability.”

Under the “We Draw the New World Together” programme, BITEC and SCGP will collaborate on the following plans in 2022:

1. Recyclable Exhibition: Starting today, a free exhibition of new decorating concepts and exhibitions of paper art will be held at various locations throughout BITEC.
2. BITEC Exhibition Supplier: SCGP, which delivers environmentally friendly solutions to organizers and exhibitors, collaborates with BITEC to provide services. This involves the design, manufacture, installation of decorative equipment and paper-made furniture for display booths with media at the point of sale. Users of this service will receive a carbon reduction report, installation services and the possibility to return to SCGP’s recycling operations and Upcycling into a souvenir or display for the next event.
3. Packaging Sustainability: A collaboration with About Food, a BITEC food and beverage provider, to replace plastic tubes with environmentally friendly food packaging and paper. The effort aims to reduce the use of single-use disposable plastic straws by up to 125,000 pieces per month, while increasing the use of ecologically friendly paper boxes for Snack Boxes by up to 65,000 pieces by 2022.
4. Recycle Campaign: As part of the collaborative campaign with About Food and SAMA, staff, organizers, exhibitors and visitors are encouraged to contribute to the project by giving crate boxes, general paper, copier paper, PET plastic water bottles and plastic bottle caps. The campaign will incorporate leftovers into the reuse process and educate consumers on proper package usage and waste materials handling at the source. Moreover, the BITEC x SCGP Carbon Footprint Performance event is intended to demonstrate the overall quantity of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas reduction generated by the MICE sector and the manufacturing of upcycling items from recycling programmes for BITEC’s international customers.

To be comprehensive, the partnership between BITEC and SCGP in the “We Draw the New World Together” project, under the circular economy concept, requires engagement from all sectors, including government, business, and civil society. In addition to innovation and durable product design, waste materials management is a crucial element. Waste management will increase the efficiency of reuse circulation, making the goal of managing MICE business genuinely sustainable.

“BITEC encourages domestic and international organizers to use upcycling goods for booth decoration that may be brought into processing to generate new products that are as efficient as those used in final manufacturing. This is the most efficient use of resources, addressing cost management while also helping to protect the environment,” said Panittha