Unilever, a leading FMCG company, is confident that the country’s easing lockdown on 1 October will help stimulate household spending, providing special discounts and promotions via both online and offline platforms as well as mom-and-pop shops to lower consumers’ living cost. This will reaffirm its long-term vision to make sustainable living commonplace
Robert Candelino, CEO Unilever Group of Thai Companies & Inland ASEAN, said consumer spending is expected to grow slightly after the government’s announcement to ease lockdown restrictions on 1 October 2021 onwards. The state of emergency will be extended and the night curfew during 10 pm-4 am will be enacted further, while salons, massage and spa shops, beauty clinics, cinemas and live music in restaurant are allowed to reopen from 1 Oct onwards. Although normal business is expected to gradually resume, Thais should not be careless toward the COVID-19 situation as the virus spread can return any time.
Recently, Unilever Thailand has adjusted its sales channels to be more responsive to consumers’ demand in this pandemic era, shifting to the online platforms like Shopee and Lazada. The company brings cleaning products such as shower cream, shampoo, and cleanser – all are essential items in the Covid-19 situation, to sell at special prices. It is confident that this group of products will be able to reach consumers during work from home and in response to the New Normal lifestyle.
At the same time, innovative products that are friendly to the planet have been launched including Breeze reformulation from natural enzyme to replace fossil-fuel chemical substance. And Unilever’s products in many categories have changed to use recycled plastic bottles through the collaboration with SCG Chemicals.
Mr. Candelino reaffirms Unilever’s sustainable business principle to protect nature and society as well as being a purposeful company to reduce the impact on environment. The company has seriously implemented a series of SD measures by collaborating with leading alliances to collect, segregate, and manage wastes.
Regarding, Thailand’s ‘plastic waste’ situation, information from PPP Plastics’ online forum on “Plastic Waste: Management and Opportunities Post-COVID-19” indicates that prior to COVID, Thailand has an average of 2 million tons of plastic waste/year or about 90 grams/person/day (January-December 2019). Out of this, 500,000 tons/year are recycled, the remaining 1.5 million tons/year are disposed in landfill or incinerated. Despite the active participation, people have taken to the reduce plastic use campaign to opt for cloth bags, COVID-19 and the new wave have led to an increase by 45% of plastic waste, an average of 139 grams/person/day (April 2021).
Unilever Thailand has recently joined hands with leading real estate developer Sansiri Plc, PPP Plastics, and alliances from the plastic industry including SCG Chemicals, TPBI and Recycle Day in the “Waste to WORTH: Sorting is Easy” campaign to promote and create an understanding of waste segregation at source, so low valued waste can become worth if properly managed. This project invites everyone in Sansiri properties to ‘Wash-dry-drop’ low-value plastic waste such as plastic bags, shampoo bottles, and milk bottles for proper processing in order to prevent pile up of trash mountain in landfill or leakage to the environment. The Drop Point is on the 1st floor of Habito Mall for sorting and Sansiri residents participating in more than 50 projects can give their sorted plastic to Recycle Day or Building Management from today – 31 December. This campaign will reaffirm Unilever’s commitment to protect the environment by building the circular economy and bringing 100% recycled plastic to reuse within 2031.
Dr. Wijarn Simachaya, President of the Public Private Partnership for Sustainable Plastic and Waste Management (PPP Plastics) said, “Waste to WORTH: Sorting is Easy” is an example demonstrates the commitment of Sansiri, Unilever and PPP Plastics to help solve plastic waste problem, at source. The key fundamentals to re-purpose post-consumed plastic are to create drop point and connection network from segregators and recyclers in line with the government’s Plastic Waste Management Roadmap 2018 – 2030. This campaign will help create a prototype of post-consumed plastic management system that is aligned with the BCG or Bio-Circular-Green Economy Model, set by the government as an economic model for sustainable national development and is a national agenda, especially circular economy that focuses on reducing the use of resources, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and reducing marine debris while producing more efficient products and services.”
