In Thailand, PTT Public Company Limited has donated more than a million biodegradable polybutylene succinate-coated paper food containers to help manage the massive trash heaps left behind by mourners paying their respects to Bhumibol Adulyadej, the recently deceased King of Thailand.
About 66 tons of garbage a day were generated by the crowds. Much of the waste was water bottles and polystyrene foam trays from on-site meals provided by independent foundations.
The PBS was supplied by PTT MCC Biochem, an equally owned joint venture of PTT and Mitsubishi Chemical Company, and was produced from biobased succinic acid and 1,4-butanediol. PBS does not require composting and breaks down in soil into water and carbon dioxide.
Mourners continue to travel to the site weeks after the King’s death, as the country has declared an official year of mourning.