UOB Thailand Joins Forces with Local Artist to Transform Old Branch Apparel into Art
Bangkok, 26 April 2023 – UOB Thailand has partnered with Wishulada Panthanuvong, a renowned Thai environmental artist renowned for converting waste into artwork, to launch “Turning Trash into Treasured Art”. This partnership, part UOB Thailand’s “Waste to Wonder” sustainability programme, will see 4,903 pieces of old branch apparel that were replaced last year upcycled into an art installation entitled “Clothespocalypse”, as well as a variety of lifestyle products, including rucksacks, tote bags, notebook clutch bags, water bottle pockets, and shopping bags. These products, made by the local Samut Sakhon community, will be available for purchase, with sales proceeds to be donated in full to the Children's Hospital Foundation.
Ms Piyaporn Ratanaprasartporn, Executive Director and Country Head of Channels and Digitalisation for UOB Thailand, said, "We are committed to managing our direct environmental impact and supporting our community. Collaborating with WISHULADA on this upcycling initiative helps prevent old branch uniforms from ending up in the landfill by giving them new life while creating employment opportunities for local communities. This initiative reaffirms UOB's focus on the future and our mission to achieve positive environmental outcomes while promoting economic growth."
Ms Wishulada Panthanuvong, a social activist artist, said, "My artwork is created exclusively from waste materials to maximise the benefits of the circular economy framework. I believe that combining creativity with efficient operational planning from production to consumption can significantly reduce discarded waste. I am excited to participate in this project because, in addition to UOB Thailand's longstanding support for the art community, the initiative also aims to raise awareness about the environment and sustainability both within and beyond the Bank. I hope this partnership will inspire individuals to repurpose the waste around them for maximum benefit."
The "Clothespocalypse" art installation illustrates the environmental consequences of the voracious global demand for clothing, which generates 1.2 billion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions when disposed of in landfills or incinerated. The installation will be displayed on the 1st floor of the Tower Building at UOB Plaza Bangkok from 24 April to 9 June 2023.
In addition, the local Samut Sakhon community has produced eight upcycled lifestyle products that will be available for purchase at the site of the art installation, with profits supporting the Angel Miracle Project of the Children's Hospital Foundation, which raises fund to purchase incubators that will provide premature babies and sick newborns with the environmental conditions these infants need to heal and thrive. Orders can also be placed online at www.uob.co.th while stocks last.
The partnership with WISHULADA is expected to prevent 1,965.30 kilograms of greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to planting 137.646 trees. This effort is part of UOB's sustainability initiative, which aims to manage the environmental impact for the benefit of stakeholders and future generations.
