dtac blog
search

  • Filter by :

  • Sort by :

Think Hai d

Broken Charging Cables, Swollen Power Bank, Old Earphones – Dispose of them with Think Hai D at dtac

Broken Charging Cables, Swollen Power Bank, Old Earphones – Dispose of them with Think Hai D at dtac

12 March 2021 – dtac is calling on all households to take a close look at old power banks, charging cables and even earphones. Such items carry risks of explosions, toxic emissions, and electrical discharges. dtac is inviting the public to properly dispose of aged and damaged electronic waste at special bins located at its 51 dtac Halls across the country. Batteries - An Explosive Issue The power bank market in Thailand is worth 1 billion Baht with a continuous trend for growth. A power bank has an average life span of 4 years, or 500-800 charges1, before losing capacity. The most popular type of rechargeable battery is lithium-ion thanks to its low weight, high-capacity and long lifespan. But they can be hazardous when not disposed of properly or fully discharged2. A survey by dtac found that 85% of users keep their power banks at home even when they are no longer fully functional, with an average number of unused power banks of 2-3 per user. Wearables – the New Frontier in Electronic Wastes Wearables like earphones, earbuds and smart watches grew by 52 percent reaching 125 million sets shipped around the world in 2020. Of those, earphones have the…

dtac Think Hai d: The movement to make mobile phones sustainable

dtac Think Hai d: The movement to make mobile phones sustainable

Amidst the rising numbers of handset sales each year, mobile phone makers and retailers are adopting sustainability principles in their value chains. dtac as a key player of value chain of mobile telecommunication industry, is taking a serious action against e-waste disposal through Think Hai d, the initiative encouraging responsible disposal of e-waste. Thailand is considered a country with high mobile internet penetration rates. There are 93.7 million phone numbers, accounting for 133% of its total population. Handset sales stand at 14.1 million annually – with around 100,000 for first time users and the rest for replacement. Replacements alone represent 20 percent of Thailand’s total population on a yearly basis. Peerapol Chatanantavej, Head of Device Portfolio & Device Expert at Total Access Communications Plc or dtac, said, “The boom in sales of handsets over the past decade was mainly caused by the evolution of technology and the tendency of consumers to want a device with more applications. The role of mobile phones is becoming more critical to people’s daily lives.” As the role and features of handset evolve over time, its use reached beyond an IT device for connectivity and became a measurement of social status, driven by factors like…

dtac commits to zero landfill by 2022

dtac commits to zero landfill by 2022

Environmentally-friendly ambition kicks off with “Think Hai D” boxes to collect e-waste at dtac Hall shops nationwide 24 August 2020 - dtac has launched a nationwide campaign dubbed “Think Hai D” to collect electronic waste at its dtac Hall shops nationwide. The waste will be processed to international standards by TES, a global leader in e-waste recycling. The process is able to recover 96-98% of raw materials, including precious metals, before reintroducing them into the circular economy. TES selected as “Think Hai D” e-waste recycling partner for responsible waste management dtac conducted a comprehensive procurement process to select its recycler, assessing several risks such as good governance and environmental management. Prospective e-waste recycling partner have to go through an in-depth qualifying process which includes agreeing to dtac’s Agreement of Responsible Business Conduct. Candidates must also have a valid Department of Industrial Works factory license type-106 for proper e-waste recycling and disposal. Moreover, they must be certified to NIST 800-88R1 standard - one of the most widely used data sanitization standards for electronic devices. dtac has the Supply Chain Sustainability team who performs assessment and inspections over recyclers in the vendors list on an annual basis to ensure that they maintain…

This family-owned textile factory is pushing for a more sustainable future with dtac

This family-owned textile factory is pushing for a more sustainable future with dtac

dtac "Think Hai d" t-shirts are now made of plastic bottles and old clothes, saving thousands of liters per shirt. While dtac isn’t a clothing brand, the company does produce a line of branded items sold at the dtac House headquarters. As dtac curbs its environmental impact across its entire supply chain, the mobile operator turned its attention to the t-shirts it produces. The manufacturing of a single t-shirt can require enough water to quench a human’s thirst for three years. Moreover, the textile and fashion industry account for 10 per cent of the world’s total carbon-dioxide emissions today. It is the second biggest polluter, behind the energy industry. Thus began dtac’s search for a way to curb its fashion line’s carbon footprint, which led to contracting Saeng Charoen Grand Company Limited (SC GRAND), Thailand’s first textile recycling factory. Jirarot “Wat” Pojanavaraphan, managing director and third-generation owner of SC GRAND , told dtac blog, “For dtac’s t-shirt production, we use two sources of recycled materials: old clothes and plastic bottles. The result is a recycled polyester fiber blend. With four old t-shirts and four plastic bottles, we can make one brand-new t-shirt!” The process begins with separating textile waste by…

“dtac Think Hai d” campaign encourages responsible disposal of e-waste

“dtac Think Hai d” campaign encourages responsible disposal of e-waste

Call to share nostalgic memories of old devices on social media will raise awareness about Thailand’s number one source of electronic waste. 4 August 2020. The dtac Think Hai d campaign is calling on everyone to properly dispose of their disused mobile devices at any of the 51 dtac service centers around the country. In addition, by posting a picture of their device as they dispose of it along with their fondest memories of using it, participants can win free donuts from Dunkin’ Donuts and t-shirts made from recycled plastic bottles. Disused mobile phones, as electronic waste, constitute the largest share of toxic wastes in the country at 65 percent according to the Pollution Control Department (PCD) statistics from 2018. Only 13 percent of all toxic waste, including mobile phones and accessories, are properly managed according to the PCD. dtac, as a leading telecommunications company, has chosen to tackle the problem with a nationwide awareness campaign. Moreover, dtac conducted a survey and found that seven out of 10 households keep their mobile phones and devices even after they no longer work, further increasing the amount of unprocessed e-waste in Thailand. This prompted dtac to act in order to protect Thailand’s…

dtac says stringent waste sorting needed to slow Thailand’s mounting trash problems

dtac says stringent waste sorting needed to slow Thailand’s mounting trash problems

There is growing awareness in Thailand for the environmental impact of waste on our soil, air and water. The year kicked off with ban on single-use plastic bags, which were previously handed out so freely that even buying a bottle of water in a convenience store would come with an obligatory accompaniment of one straw and one small bag. But then urban waste almost doubled between January and March from a year ago mainly due to increased food deliveries propelled by social distancing. Today, Thailand’s trash problems remain as pressing as ever. Considering its own environmental impact, dtac has committed to zero landfill by 2022. Achieving this target will involve stringent sorting of waste. Last year, dtac generated 281 tons of general waste. Bringing that figure to zero means carefully separating all trash into six categories that can be processed through recycling, incineration, or even used as fish food. It is a difficult task that involves educating thousands of employees on the complex distinctions between trash types. dtac blog sat down with Kultawat  Sindhuseka, dtac’s head of facility and his team members – Vipada Manutad and Trintapat Akarawanidvhawat, to talk about their role in handling the waste at dtac facilities…

We all have a part to play in solving Thailand’s urgent waste problem

We all have a part to play in solving Thailand’s urgent waste problem

This is a guest post by Rachaya Kulnapongse, Head of Sustainability, dtac. When it comes to waste, it is the plastics at sea that generate the largest headlines in Thailand. In 2018, the story of a whale that washed ashore in Songkhla gripped the nation. After it died an agonizing death, the postmortem revealed the poor beast had starved to death, its stomach filled with 80 plastic bags. A year later, a 10km long island of trash floating in the Gulf of Thailand again provided an all too vivid reminder of waste’s impact on the oceans. By contrast, the waste accumulating in Thailand’s landfills is often ignored, despite being a major source of air, soil and water pollution. According to the Pollution Control Department, solid and hazardous waste in Thailand increased by 15 percent over the past decade. Bangkok alone produces 4.84 million tons a year, accounting for 17 percent of landfills in the country. Around 30 percent of solid waste is managed and disposed of sustainably, while the rest is added to landfills which grow larger every day. The growth of waste is global, driven by rapid urbanization, growing global populations and overconsumption in high-income countries. It leads to…