The first meeting of the Working Group on Industrial Waste Management towards End-of-Waste was held on 20 October 2026 at Pathumwan Princess Hotel to discuss progress and approaches to transforming industrial waste into secondary raw materials and new products in Thailand.
Prof. Hathaikarn Manuspiya, Director of PETROMAT and Head of the Hub of Talents: Sustainable Materials for Circular Economy (HubSustainMat), attended the meeting. It was organized by the National Metal and Materials Technology Center (MTEC) and chaired by Dr. Julapong Thaweesri, former Director-General of the Department of Industrial Works.
Discussions covered four key areas for End-of-Waste implementation: waste screening and feasibility studies; technical validation and quality assurance; regulations governing transportation and use; and market development and investment incentives. The framework also considers economic potential, technology readiness, market demand, safety, and greenhouse gas benefits when identifying promising waste-utilization projects.
Examples of industrial waste valorization presented at the meeting included converting rice husk ash into sodium silicate, tuna fish bones into bone china, plaster moulds into gypsum boards, and synthetic gypsum into gypsum boards. These examples demonstrate potential pathways for recovering resources from industrial residues and incorporating them into new materials and products.
With its expertise in sustainable materials research and circular economy solutions, HubSustainMat is well-positioned to support Thailand’s efforts to advance industrial waste utilization and transition towards a circular and low-carbon economy.
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