Summary

The Green Roof Project was initiated by Tetra Pak, and recycles used beverage cartons to produce roof sheets that are then donated to disadvantaged communities affected by flooding and other natural disasters to rebuild houses

Background and Objective

The Green Roof Project started in 2010 in collaboration with Friends in Need (of “Pa”) Volunteers Foundation, Thai Red Cross, and Big C Supercenter, with TV 360 joining as a partner in 2015. The project campaigns for people to donate used beverage cartons, primarily at Big C Supercenters across Thailand, which are recycled and made into “Green Roof” tiles. The Friend in Need Foundation is responsible for distributing the roof sheets to communities in need of improved roofing

Gender and Social Inclusivity

One of the biggest challenges for low-income households, particularly when recovering from natural disasters or flooding, is access to resources and materials to build or maintain their homes. This project addresses this challenge by providing roofing sheets that are durable, and can be easily manufactured and transported to locations around the country to be used to construct temporary or permanent housing.

Innovative Initiative

The project’s ability to support disaster response initiatives and promote environmental sustainability lies in its unique mix of multiple stakeholders, including a retailer, food producers, volunteers, a recycler, non-government organizations, media and government agencies. Due to the spotlight placed on waste issues in Thailand, this initiative gained significant support and high level of engagement from the public – the campaign has over 50,000 followers on Facebook. Harnessing the energies of these various parties has enabled the production of 60,000 roof sheets which have been donated and used to improve roofs after disasters for families living in over 20 provinces in Thailand. The success of the project has led to a Memorandum of Understanding being signed by all partners in 2019 to continue the project for another three years