The Right to Play Thailand Foundation and the Justice Ministry's Department of Juvenile Observation and Protection have formed a partnership to provide sport and play-based learning activities in youth training centres in Samut Prakan, Ratchaburi and Trang provinces.

Right to Play is a leading international humanitarian and development organisation using the transformative power of sports and play to build essential skills in children and bring social change to communities affected by war, poverty and disease.

In partnership with the Justice Ministry, Right To Play will train local staff and volunteers to use child-centred, activity-based lessons to teach important life skills to troubled young people and assist in their rehabilitation.

Right to Play also implements its programmes in schools around Thailand in conjunction with the Education Ministry. It has also introduced programmes for Burmese refugee children living in temporary shelters along the Thai-Burma border.

Vapour controls

PTT Aromatics and Refining (PTTAR) is going ahead with the installation of vapour-recovery units (VRUs) on storage vessels for raw materials and products, as part of its environmental programme to reduce emissions of volatile organic compounds into the atmosphere.

PTTAR has signed a contract with Aker Cool Sorption Siam and Chat Karnchang Laem Chabang for the installation of VRUs at its plants in the Map Ta Phut and IRL industrial estates in Rayong.

The company's president and chief executive Bowon Vongsinudom said PTTAR was the first industrial operator in the Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate to install vapour-recovery units. Earlier, it installed an activated-carbon tank on its benzene vessel and switched to bottom loading to reduce the release of oil vapours. PTTAR's fleet will be equipped with VRUs, as well as its storage tanks for light petroleum products like naphtha and reformate.

"This installation is to assure society that PTTAR will cause the least impact on the environment and nearby communities, in line with our green policy and corporate social responsibility," he said.

Water of Life

Companies in the liquor industry are generally considered sinful, because of their products. But some are using their profits to benefit society, among them Diageo Moet Hennessy (Thailand).

Recognising that clean water is an essential part of life and sustainability, the company's Water of Life campaign aims to address community needs by providing clean and consumable water to victims of natural disasters.

Under a partnership with the HRH Princess Sirindhorn Foundation and the Groundwater Resources Department, Diageo Moet Hennessy (Thailand) (DMHT) initiated the campaign in the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami, when it distributed clean water to communities whose supplies had been contaminated by seawater in six of Thailand's southern provinces. The campaign then extended to four more areas: Koh Libong, Koh Sukorn and Koh Mook in Trang province and Koh Lingka (Koh Por) in Krabi province, where DMHT constructed and developed water-supply systems.

The Water of Life campaign continues to expand, with recent initiatives including the donation of 10,000 bottles of drinking water to flood victims via the Disaster Relief Centre in Lop Buri, as well 60,000 bottles of drinking water to help victims of devastating floods in Thailand's southern provinces, through the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department. The company has also donated 200,000 bottles of drinking water to the Thai Red Cross Society for communities caught up in floods and other natural disasters.

In support of their company's good corporate citizenship, DMHT's staff turned out in force for a recent "Donate Blood…Save Lives" campaign hosted by the company.

Packaging survey

Consumers around the world are increasingly acting to safeguard the environment, according to a survey by multinational packaging firm Tetra Pak.

Household recycling and environmentally-conscious shopping are now commonplace, it found.

Tetra Pak's Environmental Research 2011 report shows a steady rise over the past six years in five types of environmental behaviour by consumers in five major countries: Brazil, China, France, Germany and the United States. The behaviour patterns include setting aside food and beverage containers for recycling and avoiding products for environmental reasons.

The report highlights a steep rise in consumers researching green issues, with almost 70 per cent saying they had done so in the previous 12 months, compared to less than 40 per cent in 2005. The number of consumers refusing to accept packaging from stores on environmental grounds surged from less than 30 per cent in 2005 to well above 50 per cent in 2011.

Sorting and setting aside food and beverage containers for recycling was the most common green activity, rising from less than 70 per cent of consumers queried in 2007 to almost 90 per cent in 2011.

Tetra Pak has conducted the survey every two years since 2005. Its 2011 survey polled more than 6,600 consumers and more than 200 industry influencers in 10 countries: the US, China, Japan, India, Brazil, Russia, Turkey, France, Germany and the UK.

The report highlighted a finding that recyclable packaging boosted consumers' food and beverage preferences. About 88 per cent of consumers in the 10 countries expressed a preference or a strong preference for products in recyclable packaging. About 77 per cent said they bought certain products and not others because the packaging was better for the environment.