Corporate Social Responsibility

The company has implemented a prosthetics project by donating PP (Polypropylene) plastic pellets to The Prostheses Foundation of Her Royal Highness Princess Srinagarindra. These pellets are used as materials to create prosthetics for amputees, aiming to develop and

enhance the quality of life for amputees through a Creating Shared Value (CSV) approach. The Company utilizes its commercial products to create opportunities for people with disabilities to receive mutual benefits. The project has been going on from 2011 until present.

IRPC’s plastic pellet products are not only used to produce prosthetics at The Prostheses Foundation’s office in Chiang Mai and at mobile royal prosthetic units across Thailand and neighboring countries such as Malaysia, Myanmar, and Cambodia, but also at 95 royal prosthetic factories located in hospitals nationwide. Furthermore, these pellets are also sent to prosthetic factories established by The Prostheses Foundation at the Military Hospital in the Republic of Burundi and the Republic of Senegal, which are impoverished countries with amputees due to civil unrest and other causes.

• In 2024 (October 1, 2023-September 30, 2024), 4,013 prosthetics were produced for amputees using IRPC’s plastic pellet products.
• From 2011 to 2024 (as of September 30, 2024), a total of 43,585 prosthetics has been produced for amputees using IRPC’s plastic pellet products.

Development Opportunities in Plastic Innovation for Health.

Currently, Polypropylene (PP) plastic is a primary raw material used in the production of prosthetics for amputees, as well as various orthotic devices for individuals with disabilities and patients. However, the production of these prosthetics and orthotic devices generate a significant amount of plastic waste, creating challenges for prosthetic manufacturing facilities in managing this waste. These plastic components are often large, thick, and rigid, making disposal or finding buyers difficult, and leading to resource loss.

The company has initiated the “From Wastes to Walk (Manufacturing Prosthetic and Orthotic Devices from Recycled Plastic)” project, developing a collaborative plan with network partners, including: Sirindhorn National Medical Rehabilitation Centre, Department of

Medical Services, The Prostheses Foundation of Her Royal Highness Princess Srinagarindra, Eastern Polypack Company Limited (customer). The project’s objectives are multifaceted, aiming to achieve significant social and environmental impact. Primarily, it seeks to mitigate resource loss by repurposing plastic waste into valuable prosthetic and orthotic devices. Secondly, the initiative is designed to create social value through the development of innovative products and the dissemination of specialized knowledge. Finally, and most importantly, the project strives to enhance the quality of life for financially disadvantaged individuals with disabilities and patients by providing them with access to essential orthotic devices, thereby improving their mobility and overall well-being.

The company collects PP (Polypropylene) plastic components from its network partners and processes them through a recycling system to produce recycled PP pellets. These recycled pellets are then blended with virgin PP pellets in a 50:50 ratio. The resulting blend is supplied by Eastern Polypack Company Limited (customer) to manufacture plastic sheets with a thickness of 3 or 5 millimeters. These sheets are then provided to partner orthotic facilities to produce orthotic devices for patients or individuals with disabilities, such as Ankle Foot Orthoses (AFOs). AFOs are used for patients with foot deformities, lower limb muscle weakness, stroke, cerebral palsy, and other conditions. The plastic sheets are also used for educational purposes by prosthetists and to produce prosthetics for amputated dogs. Current Network Partners: The Prostheses Foundation of Her Royal Highness Princess Srinagarindra, Sirindhorn National Medical Rehabilitation Centre, Department of Medical Services, Sirindhorn Prosthetic and Orthotic School, The War Veterans Hospital, 95 Royal-Sponsored Prosthetic Factories nationwide, Chulalongkorn Hospital.
In 2024, two additional network partners joined the “From Wastes to Walk” project:

• Orthotic Unit, Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health
• Orthotic Unit, Rajavithi Hospital.

• Reduction of plastic waste and improvement of the quality of life for people with disabilities and financially disadvantaged patients.

Collaboration with customers to develop innovative prosthetics incorporating recycled PP plastic pellets.

The Company initiated the Lam Sai Yong Model project at the Udon Thani Disabled Development Promotion Center in 2019. The project involved dredging a reservoir for agriculture, ensuring sufficient water storage for year-round farming and livestock raising. It also included drilling groundwater wells, installing solar cell systems for electricity generation within the center (powering water pumps and groundwater extraction), laying underground water pipes, installing elevated water tanks, erecting cowboy fences to divide agricultural and livestock areas, constructing semi-natural wild boar pens, and building accessible bathrooms for people with disabilities. And in 2021, the IRPC Smart Farming project was launched, expanding upon the Lam Sai Yong Model by integrating suitable agricultural technology and innovations into the 35-rai area of the Udon Thani Disabled Development Promotion Center. This center serves as an agricultural learning space for people with various disabilities, the elderly, and caregivers of bedridden individuals, enabling them to acquire agricultural skills tailored to their abilities and physical conditions, fostering self-sufficiency and income generation. The company supports the provision of accessible agricultural technologies and innovations that align with the local environment and the lifestyles of farmers with disabilities.

The project has created opportunities for people with disabilities to engage in agricultural occupations, generate income, and produce high-quality, cost-effective yields. Activities include expanding the third agricultural reservoir to a capacity of 56,000 cubic meters, installing solar-powered water pumps and elevated water tanks, constructing greenhouses for pesticide-free vegetable cultivation and raised planting beds with automatic irrigation systems, providing 10-liter agricultural drones and training for drone operation in fertilizer application, building chicken coops over fish ponds for integrated poultry and aquaculture, supplying solar-powered drying cabinets for product processing (e.g., sun-dried fish), and establishing test plots for soil remediation using Bear Brand fertilizer (nano-zinc oxide) and soil conditioners. In 2024 Project results are as follows:

1. Soil Remediation Test Plots: Using Bear Brand Fertilizer (Nano-Zinc Oxide) and soil conditioners for growing Cavendish bananas and Mali Ong bananas
   Enabling farmers to improve soil quality, achieve optimal pH levels, and enhance nutrient availability. Partial harvests of Cavendish and Mali Ong bananas were achieved.

2. Creating Benefits and Income for the Disabled as a Result of the Company’s Project Implementation from Other Private Organizations in 2024, with a Total of 40 Disabled People Benefiting as follows:
   2.1 Agricultural vocational training program for people with disabilities based on the Sufficiency Economy philosophy.
   2.2 Employment creation program for people with disabilities trained at the Udon Thani Center for Disability Development.

• • The layer chicken farming project supports individuals with disabilities by providing a chicken cop, 100-layer chickens, essential equipment, vitamins, and feed.
  • The cattle and buffalo farming project supports individuals with disabilities by providing a shelter, 2 breeding cattle or buffalo, essential equipment, feed, medicine, and vaccines
  • Employment program for people with disabilities at the Udon Thani Center for Disability Development.

• Income from agricultural product sales: 184,553 Baht.
• Cost savings from project operations (electricity, fertilizer, and fish feed): 100,738 Baht.
• Income from drone services for fertilizer application (jasmine rice, sticky rice, and cassava fields): 14,950 Baht.

The “Chara-Recycle” project is a collaboration between IRPC, KFC, and the Glass Mirror Foundation that addresses two key social issues: plastic waste and elderly unemployment. The initiative involves collecting plastic waste from KFC restaurants, which is then cleaned by

elderly individuals, many of whom are unemployed and overlooked by the traditional labor market.

These elderly workers are hired to clean and sort the plastic waste, providing them with income and improving their quality of life. After cleaning, the plastic is sent to IRPC for recycling and transformation into valuable products. This process reduces plastic waste while promoting sustainability by reusing materials in an environmentally responsible way.

The project provides a comprehensive solution that benefits both the environment and society. It offers a means of effectively recycling plastic waste while giving elderly individuals meaningful employment and improving their livelihoods. By repurposing waste and creating opportunities, this initiative reflects IRPC’s commitment to social responsibility and sustainable development.

• The “Chara-Recycle” project successfully reduces plastic waste by 4 tons.
• A donation of 500,000 Baht was made to the Mirror Foundation to support the income of elderly members through the “Hire Me” project.

• Creates stability in raw materials and reduces dependence on new raw materials.
• Supporting recycling projects aligns with the Circular Economy concept, which is an approach that IRPC prioritizes.
• Promotes marketing and enhances brand recognition on a wider scale.