Future Talk by NXPO recently took place with the focus on circular economy (CE). Invited speakers were Ms. Thanyaporn Krichtitayawuth, Director of Global Compact Network Thailand and Ms. Alisara Sivayathorn, CEO of Sivatel Bangkok Hotel. 

Ms. Thanyaporn said that the Thai business sector had caught on the circular concept for some time now, but the movement had recently gained heavy momentum. Large corporates such as SCG are paying close attention and applying CE to their business model. In moving forward, Ms. Thanyaporn felt that enterprises of any size can apply circularity to their business if they seek to establish sustainable growth. 

Ms. Alisara shared her experience in applying CE to her hotel business. Sivatel has been monitoring its resource consumption and waste generation. The hotel started waste reduction program six years ago – when the hotel’s waste generation rate was around 8-10 tons/month and was able to 75-80% waste reduction. As food waste is the main contributor, the hotel is planning to grow a rooftop garden and using fertilizer made from food waste. Sivatel is aiming to achieve zero food waste in 5 years, employing circular design concept throughout the food production process, starting from menu design to food preparation. 

According to Ms. Thanyaporn, CE application in the business is not limited to waste management. In fact, the whole process from input cost to service cost should be reviewed and attention should be placed on minimizing production cost. It takes various players, from entrepreneurs and business developers to product innovators, researchers and designers, to come together to find ways to add value to goods and services to build this creative economy that will not only answer to economic objective, but also social goal. 

To promote CE transformation, the Global Compact Network Thailand, in collaboration with NXPO and CIRCO – a program supported by the Dutch government, recently launched CIRCO circular design course in Thailand. The course is offered online to Thai enterprises at free of charge.  One hundred companies are expected to participate in the training. Ms. Alisara, who had participated in this circular design course, said that the course allowed her to meet and learn from other entrepreneurs and coaches and gain a broader perspective on CE solutions. 

NXPO President Kitipong Promwong added that CE is the trend of the future. We need to shift our mindset from making a short-term profit to creating sustainability to our business. He invited enterprises to take the circular design course which is now opening for packaging and consumer products sectors.