Suez : Icon News SUEZ Opens Its First Recycling Plant In Thailand Dedicated To Reversing Plastic Pollution Crisis In Asia

Paris, 4th December 2020

SUEZ OPENS ITS FIRST PLASTIC RECYCLING PLANT IN THAILAND DEDICATED TO

REVERSING PLASTIC POLLUTION CRISIS IN ASIA

SUEZ announced the official opening of the SUEZ Circular Polymer Plant in Bang Phli, Thailand - the Group's first plastic recycling plant in Asia. The project highlights SUEZ's commitment to preserving the natural capital and building a more sustainable future, while contributing to Thailand's ambitious 2030 target to achieve 100% plastic recycling.

The world produces 300 million tonnes of plastic every year, and 50% of it is used as packaging1. Globally, more than 8 million tonnes of plastic waste are dumped into the ocean, of which Southeast Asia is a major contributor. In Thailand, only about one quarter of its 2 million tonnes of plastic waste is recycled per year.

To tackle plastic pollution and protect the oceans, the SUEZ Circular Polymer Plant recycles low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) plastic. It is one of Thailand's largest LDPE recycling plants and operates in the highest level of compliance. It is strongly supported by the experience of specialists from PLAST lab®, SUEZ's innovative plastic laboratory dedicated to plastic recycling located in France, that allows the plant to qualify, characterise, measure and formulate new recycled plastics to fit customer's specific needs.

The plant converts 30,000 tonnes of Thailand's plastic packaging waste into high quality post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic as a long-term solution to the plastic pollution crisis, producing quality secondary materials for the plastic industry. The plant is also equipped with one of the highest water reuse rates for recycling plants in Thailand, avoiding 35,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually, equivalent to planting 1.5 million trees.

On this occasion, SUEZ has entered into a strategic partnership with Chemicals Business, SCG, a key industrial player in integrated petrochemical companies in Asia. The partnership will allow SCG, with its solid marketing and business management experience, to help distribute the recycled plastics to brand owners and manufacturers in Southeast Asia.

"The way we use and treat plastic needs to be rethought; while plastic brings convenience to our everyday lives, it comes with the alarming and long-term consequence of millions of tonnes of waste in our oceans, resulting in adverse environmental impact and health effect. A global awareness on this subject is quietly emerging among pubic authorities, inhabitants and industries who are increasingly committed to a more environmentally friendly production process. Our group has the solutions and masters the most innovative technologies on plastic recycling. Today, we are excited to open the Group's first plastic recycling facility outside of Europe. This new plant will help encourage Southeast Asia to transform towards a circular economy. I would like to congratulate all teams for their commitment to finalize the works under several months of lockdown due to the health crisis. Now, we look forward to working closely with all actors of the plastics value chain to bring us closer to reduce plastic pollution crisis." commented Ana Giros, Senior Executive Vice President of SUEZ in charge of the APAC (Asia, Australia and India) and AMECA (Africa, Middle East, Central Asia) Regions and Industrial Key Accounts.

Plastics recycling is a key market for SUEZ. Each year, SUEZ processes nearly 400,000 tonnes of plastic waste in nine specialist facilities around the world and produces 150,000 tonnes of circular polymers. The Group is one of the founding members of the international Alliance to End Plastic Waste, and part of Thailand's Public Private Partnership for Sustainable Plastic and Waste Management (Thai PPP Plastics) to collaborate with stakeholders to help protect the ocean and conserve the environment.

1https://plasticoceans.org/the-facts/

The opening of this new plant is in line with the Group's strategic plan "Shaping SUEZ 2030" and development strategy in Southeast Asia, where it has been supporting countries in response to a rapidly growing population and new environmental challenges.

The SUEZ Circular Polymer plastic recycling plant is officially open in December 2020 with the aim to contribute to Thailand's 2030 goal to reduce plastic waste. It is one of Thailand's largest LDPE recycling plants, recycling packaging waste from local shopping malls, express logistics companies, beverage producers and electronics manufacturers.

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About Chemicals Business, SCG

Chemicals Business, SCG, is one of the largest integrated petrochemical companies in Asia and a key industry leader. It manufactures and supplies a full range of petrochemical products ranging from upstream to downstream materials, focusing on developing technologies and innovations to create High Value Added Products and Services (HVA) to meet a diverse demand and develop products and services based on the circular economy.

About SUEZ:

Since the end of the 19th century, SUEZ has built expertise aimed at helping people to constantly improve their quality of life by protecting their health and supporting economic growth. With an active presence on five continents, SUEZ and its 90,000 employees strive to preserve our environment's natural capital: water, soil, and air. SUEZ provides innovative and resilient solutions in water management, waste recovery, site remediation and air treatment, optimising municipalities' and industries' resource management through "smart" cities and improving their environmental and economic performance. The Group delivers sanitation services to 64 million people and produces 7.1 billion m3 of drinking water. SUEZ is also a contributor to economic growth, with more than 200,000 jobs created directly and indirectly on an annual basis, and a provider of new resources, with 4.2 million tonnes of secondary raw materials produced. By 2030, the Group is targeting 100% sustainable solutions, with a positive impact on our environment, health and climate. SUEZ generated total revenue of €18.0 billion in 2019.

About SUEZ Asia:

With a strong presence of 60+ years in South East Asia and 40+ years in Greater China, SUEZ is a preferred partner in helping authorities and industrial clients develop water and waste management solutions that enable cities and industries to optimize their resource management and strengthen their environment and economic performances. With 9,000+ employees and 70+ joint ventures with local partners, the Group has built 600+ water and wastewater plants, with 32+ million people benefiting from our water and waste services. Today, SUEZ is recognized as one of the most influential companies and a service benchmark in leading the region's environmental industry. We operate China's first PPP water contract in Macau, one of Asia's largest hazardous waste treatment facilities in Shanghai, as well as a plastic recycling plant in Thailand. It is also a leader in Hong Kong's waste management industry and delivers environmental services to 21 industrial parks.

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