This milestone is a testament to ����AV’s commitment to becoming fully circular. The TDI CQ mass-balanced product, also known as  Desmodur® CQ, integrates bio-feedstocks into its production process, significantly reducing CO2 emissions by up to 65% compared to fossil-based products. This innovative solution also supports the transition to a circular economy. 

Far East Foam Vietnam, a Malaysian private company with over 50 years of history, is a leader in producing high-quality foam for mattresses and furniture. The company’s ISCC certification underscores its dedication to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles, positioning it as a pioneer in integrating bio-feedstocks into its production processes among foam producers in the region. 

Mr. Chris Loo, Managing Director of Far East Foam, emphasizes the company’s commitment to raising awareness about sustainability among Vietnamese consumers. “With a keen interest in promoting mass-balanced materials and ISCC certification, Far East Foam is dedicated to educating Vietnamese consumers about sustainable practices and the importance of a circular economy. We aim to foster industry transformation and set new standards for environmental stewardship,” said Mr. Loo. 

The mass balance approach allows manufacturers to incorporate bio-feedstocks into their products without modifying their production infrastructure, significantly reducing manufacturing costs compared to traditional methods. This innovative method is relatively new in the local market but holds great potential for advancing sustainable practices. 

A Collaborative Effort for a Greener Future 

Mr. Dang Hoang Giang, Managing Director of ����AV Vietnam, proudly states, “����AV Vietnam’s introduction of the mass balance concept into the foam industry marks a crucial step in advancing sustainable product offerings in Vietnam and elevating ����AV Vietnam’s profile in the broader market. This deal is expected to inspire other companies along the related industries’ value chain to explore ways in which they can contribute to a more sustainable and brighter future. Through collaborative efforts, we will progress towards a circular economy.” 

"We are very proud of this breakthrough solution as it will enable our customers to achieve their sustainability goals faster. This is especially true for industries such as consumer electronics and audio and networking equipment manufacturers, which have ambitious sustainability goals of their own," said Lily Wang, Global Head of the Engineering Plastics segment at ����AV. "This is another step toward our vision of becoming fully circular, and an important contribution to accelerating the transformation of industries toward a recyclable and carbon-neutral future."

This type of plastic can achieve exceptional whiteness and highly saturated colors, which is typically a challenge for PCR plastics with high recycled content. This is made possible by selecting high-quality recyclates and optimizing the material composition during the compounding process. The PCR grade is manufactured with halogen-free flame retardants that meet performance requirements without increasing environmental impact. It also meets the highest V-0 rating of Underwriters Laboratories' UL 94 flammability standards.

Partnership with Jabra

����AV's Bayblend^® FR3010 R75 polycarbonate blend is used, for example, in the ear cups of Danish brand Jabra's latest Evolve2 headset series for audio equipment and video conferencing systems. This type is made of 75 percent recycled material and has a 50 percent lower carbon footprint² compared to its conventional fossil-based counterpart, but still meets performance requirements well.

To meet rising demand, ����AV is currently building a dedicated compounding plant for PCR polycarbonates at its integrated site in Shanghai. Once commissioned, which is scheduled for later this year, it will be able to supply more than 25,000 metric tons of high-quality PCR polycarbonates annually.

Climate-neutral¹ solutions through mass balancing

In addition to PCR grades produced through mechanical recycling, ����AV is also making progress with polycarbonates attributed with raw materials produced using a mass balance approach derived from bio waste and residual materials and certified to the internationally recognized ISCC PLUS standard.

The company now regularly supplies Makrolon^® RE polycarbonates with a renewable attributed raw material content of up to 89 percent³. Selected products, including climate-neutral¹ polycarbonates, are supplied with 100 percent renewable electricity under a TÜV-certified system⁴. Already at the end of 2021, ����AV supplied customers in Europe with the world's first climate-neutral¹ polycarbonates. Also the RE series is part of the CQ portfolio of circular solutions at ����AV.

The mass-balanced products demonstrate an identical good quality and performance as fossil-based polycarbonates and offer an out-of-the-box solution for customers with a significantly lower carbon footprint.

^{1 Climate neutral according to a verified life cycle assessment based on ISO standards 14040/14044. Climate neutrality is demonstrated by assessing a partial product life cycle from resource extraction (cradle) to factory gate, also known as cradle-to-gate assessment. The calculation takes into account biogenic carbon sequestration rather than first "life" pollution. It is based on preliminary data from the supply chain and replaces the electricity grid mix with renewable electricity used in the ����AV manufacturing process. No compensation measures were applied. The LCA methodology developed by ����AV is scientifically sound and corresponds to the state of the art. ID no. 0000083440:}

^{2 According to an internal calculation by ����AV based on the TÜV reviewed EcoPAss LCA method (ID No. 0000083440: )}

^{3 According to the newly published ISCC PLUS system document V3.4, oxygen atoms from ambient air that react with ISCC-certified raw materials are counted towards the sustainable fraction. ISCC PLUS ()}

^{4 Certified management system: ID no. 0000084999:}

“This CSR project is part of ����AV’s wider ambition to create additional value for the society. With the learning center the company aims to contribute to supporting Thailand on its journey towards the circular economy in full alignment with the company’s commitment to environmentally-friendly production.”

“Young generation is one of a crucial driver to transform our world to become more sustainable in the future. Therefore, we really need to seed the sustainability and circularity mindset to the children and ����AV is committed to support this in everyway we can as our company’s purpose is “To make the world a brighter place”, said Dr.Timo Slawinski, Managing Director of ����AV (Thailand) Co., Ltd.

Sustainability is a core element of ����AV’s mission and an integral part of its strategy. As a company which lives and breathes innovation and wants to grow with products and technologies that benefit society and reduce the impact on environment, ����AV sets sustainability targets which extend beyond its immediate operations , for example, the company aims to become climate neutral by 2035 and want to become fully circular along the value chain. This commitment to sustainability goes beyond declarations and has been confirmed in many projects in which ����AV has been able to realize trailblazing ideas.

The company is promoting its commitment by expanding the basis of raw materials, continuously optimizing the production process in all the plants, and enabling its customers to design their production processes in a more efficient and sustainable manner. Almost all innovations by ����AV follow the aim of bringing together the economy and environmental aspects to benefit the environment and support customer’s business success.

In its operations in Thailand, ����AV also adheres to sustainable production and demonstrates its sustainability stance. Its Map Ta Phut site fully supports the global sustainability agenda with multiple initiatives. For example, the company is now using biodiesel instead of gasoline in its on-site logistical operations. By switching to this clean-burning alternative fuel generated from renewable resources, the company reduced its carbon footprint along the value chain. The production site can now apply mass-balanced approach which is certified by international organization - ISCC PLUS to produce the products for almost entire site. The company is also currently planning to apply renewable energy in manufacturing processes with the expected benefits of reducing water and air pollution.

In September 2022, Dr. Timo Slawinski, Managing Director of ����AV (Thailand) Co., Ltd. handed-over 100 set of the working suits made from upcycling plastic bottels from the “Hands for a Brighter World” campaign to Mr. Wirat Manassanitwong, Director of the Bureau of Environment and Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to provide to the road sweepers in Bangkok. Another 50 sets were given to Mr. Thawin Phothibuathong, the Mayor of Map Ta Phut Town Municipality for the use by Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation work at Map Ta Phut to increase the safety of officers while on duty. These safety suites are made from upcycling plastic bottles donated by ����AV’s employees and people in Bangkok.

����AV continues to strive to make the world a brighter place by driving a circular economy and optimizing the utilization of resources and producing plastics sustainably.

The EV Hackathon provides university students with an opportunity to gain new knowledge in electric vehicle technology through various intensive training program. It also acts as a platform for students to develop and present their creative ideas for improving electric vehicles by applying technology, business, and management mindsets to their projects.

����AV demonstrated its commitment and expertise in this topic by acting as one of the experienced speakers in the training seminar on the topic “Innovative Materials for EV Mobility”. With up to 100 creative ideas submitted, ����AV with the role as one of the judges in the competition reviewed 16 teams as part of the semi-final stage, selecting eight to go through to the final round. It will also join a judging panel for the final round (a live 24-hour hackathon event) on Aug 27-28 at King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok (KMUTNB).

"Thailand will soon be ready to enter the Asian electric vehicle production base as part of the Government's 30/30 policy, which aims to produce ZEVs (Zero Emission Vehicles). We hope to play a role in supporting and driving its foundation by embedding sustainability and technical knowledge in the next generation and encouraging them to apply it in the real world” mentioned Ms. Cholthee Chandrachoti, Head of Mobility ASEAN, who represents ����AV as a judge in this event.

The EV Hackathon strongly aligns with ����AV's own ambition on  sustainability goals by driving innovation and the action towards the goal on climate neutrality. The company is also committed to continuously supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Dr. Timo Slawinski, Managing Director of ����AV (Thailand) Co., Ltd. said: “The EV Hackathon complements ����AV's efforts toward climate neutrality and sustainability goals. We want to empower and inspire young people to be creative as they become tomorrow's innovators for a more sustainable world.

“I want to thank the organizers and all the project partners for creating such a great opportunity that gives young Thai people a chance to share their ideas and grow to their full potential.”

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Dr. Timo Slawinski, Managing Director of ����AV (Thailand) said, “����AV’s mission is to promote innovation and growth with profitable products and technologies that benefit society while reducing the impact on the environment. We would like to pass over value and sustainability to our future generation, therefore, we make every effort to align our vision on the direction of circular economy. By creating new ideas and innovations that benefits to reserving and making most use of the natural resources that is being scarce, bringing them back to the loop, reducing impact from plastic wastes and promoting reduction of greenhouse gas emission throughout the value chain.

In March, ����AV announced our 2035 Climate Neutrality Target, therefore, our campaign, “Hands for a Brighter World” shares a common vision and goal with the “Bangkok Magic Hands” project. This initiative comprises two of ����AV’s core values together: commitment to safety and sustainability, enabling us to turn waste into value. The results are road sweeper personal safety devices – high-visibility suits made from recycled plastic bottles - for the BMA and the Map Ta Phut Municipality.”

Ms. Khawissara Wattanapisit, Head of Communication ASEAN ����AV (Thailand), said, “The Hands for a Brighter World project is one of the latest social activities to reiterate ����AV vision for sustainable business operations under the circular economy concept to protect our limited resources. We are committed to minimizing our carbon footprint seriously to reduce the impact on climate change which, in turn, creates opportunities for future generations in the long term. This project is an outstanding example of collaboration among multiple stakeholders who are aware of the problems and working together to reduce the plastic waste problem. This collaboration not only promotes sustainability at the community level but also contributes to national and global levels. To achieve our common targets, one hand or party cannot succeed on its own, but collaboration is needed – this is where the project name stems from."

Mr. Wirat Manassanitwong, Director of the Department of Environment, BMA, revealed, “The BMA top environmental policy is to achieve Net Zero greenhouse emissions and this is well supported by the private sector, hence the creation of this network. The BMA currently encourages the private sector to collaborate on 4 types of activities: renewable energy, green zone expansion by tree planting, waste reduction & management, and traffic management. Recently we organized Earth Hour in March as 1 of 190 countries around the world to switch to electricity at night to raise awareness of energy conservation. We are also campaigning waste pollution prevention with 17 districts on the Chao Phraya river, aiming to reduce littering in the river, and have so far held activities in 3 districts.

At present, a number of corporations have volunteered to plant trees in BMA public areas or requested the BMA to arrange for areas in support of the BMA Governor's 1 Million Tree Planting Policy. The "Bangkok Magic Hands" project" is a collaboration of several parties with the BMA acting as the middleman in arranging for locations where donors can contribute. We are pleased that ����AV offer plastic waste sorting stations that are attractive and interesting to the public which helps promote actual waste sorting from all. We plan to use some of the collected PET bottles, upcycle them into PPE, and if they are can achieve existing safety standards and comfort requirements, then we will offer them to our road sweepers."

����AV is among the leading global polymers manufacturers with a vision to create a better world by driving a circular economy and optimizing the utilization of resources. We produce plastics sustainably, drawing on the benefits of alternative raw materials and renewable energies. To realize our vision we are committed to reducing plastic wastes and airborne emissions, as well as improving waste management. Moreover, we strive to innovate new technologies to recycle discarded products and materials and turn them into raw materials once again.

����AV in Thailand is committed to raising environmental protection awareness among the youth through the regular organization of educational activities and the publication of educational materials. This includes the booklet series titled "Bright Minds for a Brighter World" for primary schools in Thailand to educate the importance of waste sorting under the circular economy concept. We also organize workshops for teachers on environmental management both in Bangkok and Rayong.

In this project, ����AV, one of 13 awardees, will support 100,000 low-income people in Vietnam, Lao People Democratic Republic and Cambodia to enhance their income though the use of ����AV polycarbonate solar dryer domes in the post-harvest processes. Key interventions are holistic:  partial seeding fund for communities for solar dryer dome construction, training for farmers in food processing and handling, finally linking smallholder production with value-added food markets. By reducing post-harvest losses and improving added-value into agro-products, the project will foster benefit sharing for farmers.  The goal is to contribute to the transformation of smallholder farms from subsistence operations into profitable, commercially oriented businesses as well as strengthening their links to growing food markets. 

In May 2022, ����AV Inclusive Business Development Manager Mai Pham Phuong (Ms.)  participated in the first Bootcamp in Bangkok, together with the other South and South East Asia grantees from the two cohorts, the hub team and USAID Secretariat, gathering as a tight-knit group to share ideas, engage in value-based discussions and build new skills to create lasting change. The three-day Bootcamp include ‘unconferenced’ session exploring how to impact more farmers, improve operation and access investment, and included an interactive session on investment readiness, KPIs, gender equality and sustainability. All participants shared and promoted innovative techniques to increase their visibility and meet other grantees sharing the same vision and like-minded in the region. The last day was for exploring partnerships that can catalyze investment, increase impact for smallholder farmers and improve access to climate – resilient innovations.

During the Bootcamp, ����AV also shared the Inclusive Business mission and our way to realize toward the People, Planet, Profit value.  B Veeralakshmanan, Head – IB India and SEA is proud of the achievement.  “Winning this important grant testifies to how the cooperation between sustainability stakeholders can benefit the underserved community.  Our key to success in reaching our sustainable social transformation goals is the alignment we strive for between organizations in benefiting the people and planet.  Inclusive Business is well on track to keep our date with 2025 on impacting 10 million underserved people.”

Among the rich talent seen across the winners, it was heartening to see many Indian grantees, including our partner S4S Technologies.  We are thus able to step up our visibility and credibility in this domain, as well as seek out new partners on our onward journey of expansion in width and depth.  In the coming months, India and Vietnam will be working closely to successfully implement the project with WE4F and expect to increase our handprint in new arenas of under-represented farmer communities.  We are indeed 1 for the good of the people!

The ����AV Innovation Design Contest 2021 (IDC 2021) had announced the winners from the finalist teams which their ideas for “EV Charging Station” under the theme “Recharge to a Fully Circular Way” are all innovative. creative, sustainable and possible to develop it for real application. ����AV (Thailand) joined hands with the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) to give the opportunity for undergraduate students nationwide showcased their ideas and innovative creativity to win the prize and scholarship all worth over 185,000 Bath. In this final round, the judge panels are from various organizations including Mr. Warit Rattanachuen, Assistant Governor - Project Management Office from EGAT, Mr. Pichit Pongprasert, Head of EV Commercial Business from EGAT, Mr. Channarong Kaenthong, Vice President of the Architect Council of Thailand. Experts from ����AV, Ms. Khawissara Wattanapisit, Head of Communications – ASEAN and Mr. Chaiyut Changjenrob, Polycarbonates Plant Manager, were also on the judging committee.

Dr. Timo Slawinski, managing director of ����AV (Thailand) Limited gave the opening remark in the final round pitching and award ceremony “����AV organized this campaign for 3rd consecutive year with the aim to drive innovative ideas for the new generation of youth and being a part to develop our communities and society to be more advance while promoting sustainability at the same time. The competition theme for this year is very interesting and challenging to encourage students from nationwide to show their ideas on innovation that support the future trend on mobility. The design contest for EV charging station really comes at the right timing when the world and country is moving towards the EV cars and vehicles. For ����AV, we are driving towards sustainable future as well as putting a lot of efforts on reducing carbon footprint in all of our value chain which also fully align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We strongly believe that the challenges are the key to widen more opportunities for us to collaborate on new innovation developments that could lead us to move forward sustainable world. Although, the IDC is a small part that help to promote innovation thinking which is driven by sustainability, we believe that this small effort together with many others organizations will be able to contribute to our sustainable world and future and to ensure that we hand over pleasant living space and society to our future generation”.

“I would like to congratulate the winning teams and express my gratitude for everyone’s efforts to recognize the problem, find solution and present us with the great design for EV charging station which is the theme of this year. I wish to see more and more of the great innovative ideas in the future from all students and importantly thanks to EGAT again to share the same goal and jointly support this campaign” added Dr. Timo.

Mr. Warit Rattanachuen, Assistant Governor - Project Management Office from EGAT, also stated “Electric vehicle application trends are playing a significant role all over the world, including in Thailand. We are all trying to figure out how to make the world more sustainable. The competition theme in this year of IDC 2021 is very useful to the societies” “Designing electric car charging station’ ideas from all contestants will help promote and convince people to interest in switching to electric cars which use clean energy and also help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the occurrence of climate change around the world. This is the world's benefit that students being a part of that” mentioned Mr. Warit.

The 6 finalist teams showcased their ideas and potential for addressing the current challenges. Their creativity and innovative “EV Charging Station” designs fulfilled the judging committee’s scoring criteria, while the outstanding presentations of each team were second to none, greatly impressing the judging committee. The “KMUTT CHARGING STATION” project by students from King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT) won the prize with 80,000 baht in scholarship as well as a trophy and certificate.

The first runner-up was “DENETOL” team by students from King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT) awarded with 50,000 baht in scholarship as well as a trophy and certificate and the second runner-up, “Camellia Charging Station” team by students from King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT) ) awarded with 30,000 baht in scholarship as well as a trophy and certificate.

Furthermore, three honorable mentions were given to “ECO-FRIENDLY MINI EV CHARGING STATION” team from King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL), “Power Treecharg” team from Maejo University and “Green Tower Station” team from King Mongkut's University of Technology North Bangkok (KMUTNB) awarded with 5,000 baht in scholarship. There was also a Popular Vote prize of 10,000 baht which was awarded to “DENETOL” team by students from King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT).

The new products are produced using bioattributed or bio-circular attributed (e.g. used cooking oil) raw materials and have a reduced carbon footprint compared with their fossil-based counterparts. At the same time, the mass-balanced products boast the same impressive quality and properties and can be integrated directly into manufacturing processes in downstream industries without technical modifications. In this context, the products are to be certified according to the ISCC Plus standard.

"Asia Pacific is the most dynamic and fastest-growing region for our TPU products used in industries including IT, electronics, footwear, films and sheets and many others. We are looking forward to creating value for our customers here with more sustainable products including the mass-balanced TPU, directly from our production sites in the region," said Dr. Andrea Maier-Richter, global head of the TPU business at ����AV.

"I am thrilled that we will soon be able to help our customers in Asia Pacific reduce their carbon footprint with this drop-in solution on the heels of our global footprint," said Lisa Ketelsen, head of Sales and Market Development and regional head for ����AV's TPU business in Asia Pacific. "With the ISCC Plus certification, we aim to achieve more transparency from raw material purchasing to our production and distribution to customer use. This is an important step in achieving our vision of becoming fully circular."

Extensive range of more sustainable TPU plastics

����AV has already launched various TPU products based on alternative resources over the past few years, as more and more consumers prefer more sustainable products. Outdoor outfitter VAUDE, for example, uses a foam midsole made partly from bio-based TPU in its new Lavik Eco hiking boot. Other product types contain a component that is manufactured proportionately using CO₂ instead of fossil raw materials. ����AV's range of Desmopan® brand TPU plastics also includes a range of fully recycled products. They are used, for example, in smartphone cases from the Dutch manufacturer Fairphone.

Thermoplastic polyurethanes are very versatile plastics. They come in a variety of hardness ranges, are flexible yet impact resistant, and are therefore highly suitable for a wide range of applications.

Mass balancing creates transparency

Supplying mass-balanced products is part of ����AV's comprehensive global program designed to fully align itself with the circular economy. In doing so, the company is focusing on increasing the use of alternative resources such as bio-based materials, plastic waste and CO₂, as well as renewable energies. The company is also collaborating with partners to develop innovative recycling technologies.

In mass balancing, fossil and alternative raw materials are mixed in production but treated separately in accounting. The chain-of-custody method enables materials to be tracked along the entire value chain and allows alternative resources, such as bioattributed components, to be allocated to selected end products. To date, three ����AV production sites in Europe and Asia-Pacific have been certified in compliance with the ISCC Plus standard, with more sites to follow. That would include the Changhua site in Taiwan, ����AV'a largest TPU production site in Asia, expected to be certified in the first half of 2022.

ISCC ("International Sustainability and Carbon Certification") is an internationally recognized system for the sustainability certification of biomass and bioenergy. The standard applies to all stages of the value chain and is recognized worldwide.