News & Events

Wacoal Pink Ribbon Project fight against breast cancer"donated to the KhonKaen Hospital 15 million Baht. The official launch project the"Breast Care Center"."To be the first specialized center for diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer in the Northeast and to solve the problem of accessing public health services. Also, to improve the quality of life of Khon Kaen women and neighboring provinces to far away from breast cancer.

The opening ceremony of the Breast Care Center which is located in Khunakorn Piyachat Building, 1^st  Floor, KhonKaen hospital was honored by"Luang Pho Inthawai Santusco,"abbot of Wat Pa NakhaNoi, UdonThani province to anointed for the prosperity that many people and followers attended. Moreover, government agencies and the private sectors, such as"Dr. Chanchai Chanworachakul,"MD Director of Khon Kaen Hospital,"Prof. Dr. SupakornRojananin,former President of the International College of Surgeons of Thailand under the Royal Patronage which is the principal in raising funds and collaborating with various agencies, along with Khun Nacharinthorn Pongsuphajintapha, Executive Director of Thai Wacoal Public Company Limited congratulated together.

Dr. Chanchai Chanworachakun, The director of Khon Kaen Hospital said, "Nowsaday, breast cancer is the most cancer that Thai women have, and likely to have more new patients every year. This opening of the Breast Care Center is good news for Khon Kaen people and neighboring provinces in the Northeast that they can quickly access to the services of the treatment and do not waste time traveling to Bangkok. Moreover, it can be a center to spread knowledge for health care to the surrounding community that can prevent disease from primary level by providing knowledge before occurring of cancer and maintaining until the last stage. Through the hospital, the team was sent to educate people continuously, such as how to observe signs of breast cancer, breast check method, how to avoid breast cancer risk factors as well as campaigning for risk groups women in Isan for all ages to see the importance of regular breast check. "

Prof. Dr. Supakorn Rojananin, former President of the International College of Surgeons of Thailand under the Royal Patronage which is the head of the fund raising, specified that this Breast Care Center has been born from the dedication and cooperation of many parties over the years. They wants to spread medical prosperity to different regions and create happiness for the people, especially the private sectors, led by the Wacoal Pink Ribbon Project Fight Against Breast Cancer for society under Wacoal operations which has donated 15 million baht to purchase a mammogram and ultrasound machine. On the opening day of the Breast Care Center, Wacoal also offered balancing bra and caps for breast cancer patients for 255,000 baht, that can help and make this health services for breast cancer more complete.

"Khon Kaen is the first goal that we choose and can accomplish. The Khon Kaen Hospital has the breast cancer center that provides the most comprehensive treatment services in the Northeast region. In the future, we still have plans to expand the model of public health development to the North which is a collaboration between Chiang Rai Prachanukhroh Hospital, and Mae Fah Luang University. If it is done successfully, hope to help Thai women from breast cancer can probably not too far." said Dr. Supakorn.

Bangkok, 22 February 2019  Thai Wacoal Public Company Limited, a manufacturer of Wacoal women's lingerie products that truly understands Thai women incorporation with the Association for the Promotion of the Status of Women under the Royal Patronage of HRH Princess Soamsawali Vorrarachathinutdamas and the Department of Environmental Quality Promotion under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment organizes a campaign called "Wacoal Bra Day" – precious bras, generate jobs, save environment. It is the project that Wacoal has continuously organized entering its 8^th year. This year comes with a slogan of "We want your old bras" to inspire people to be more environmentally conscious or eco-friendly. It is a project that accepts donation of any brand of bras and entered them into a proper disintegration process by incinerating them in a closed system in conjunction with cement production to reduce pollution, reduce the use of natural resources and reduce greenhouse gases emission as well as to minimize waste within the community which can affect the environment. Wacoal is also providing good quality new materials to women in emergency homes to give these women jobs and career in creating handmade products, which is another corporate social responsibility campaign of Wacoal for sustainable society.

“Wacoal Bra Day” operates under the concept of Zero Waste by minimizing the amount of waste disposal to zero or no residual waste. Environmental pollution is an urgent national policy under global warming situation that the world and Thailand is facing. The primary principles are to use materials that can be reused as much as possible, to minimize the amount of waste, to produce and use environmentally-friendly products, to create new products that incorporate recycled materials as well as encourage the use of these products, to develop the use of recycled waste and to help raise the economy and create new jobs for the community. Because nowadays there are many environmental issues, which continue to escalate more and more every day, with pollution being one of the biggest problems that everyone should be aware of. It is important to find sustainable and effective solutions to help reduce the amount of waste and/or recycle/reuse them for the most benefits. “Wacoal Bra Day” project is based on the 3R principle which are:

1. Reuse – accepting donation of bra’s making materials to the Association for the Promotion of the Status of Women to be used in art and crafts or handmade product to generate income and create employments for the women in the emergency homes.

2. Reduce – taking old and deteriorated bras into disintegration process by using them as fuel instead of coal in the cement production. The combustion process is a closed system operated at a temperature of 1,800 degrees Celsius where all the waste materials would be burned leaving no ashes or any residual. This would help reduce environmental pollution, reduce the use of natural resources and reduce greenhouse gases emission.

3. Recycle – melting metal parts from bra wires, hooks and rings and reuse them in the most efficient ways.

Boondee Amnuayskul, Executive Chairman and Managing Director of Thai Wacoal Public Company Limited said “From the vision in Corporate Social Responsibility of Wacoal, the environmental aspect is very important. Wacoal pays attention to every process from start to finish, focusing on maintaining the standard of products’ quality and being environmentally-friendly as well as developing new innovation which begins with the use of resources, procurement of raw materials, production, transportation and logistics, delivery of products, customer relations till the process of dealing with waste or deteriorated products. This leads us to “Wacoal Bra Day” project where donation of old or deteriorated bras are accepted and use as energy source to help reduce waste and environmental problem in the community. This is because it would take, on average, more than 100 years for nature to decompose one bra as most of the materials are polymers and would destroy the environment when dump in landfill. But if these bras were used as an alternative fuel, it would help reduce the use of gas, oil and coal and even help with global warming. In addition, “Wacoal Bra Day” project works in conjunction with the Association for the Promotion of the Status of Women under the Royal Patronage of HRH Princess Soamsawali Vorrarachathinutdamas to support women and children suffering from physical and mental crises in women’s emergency homes by generating jobs and incomes making it easier and happier for them to return to the society. This project is considered to be a Social Enterprise (creating job, creating income). Wacoal provides new and good quality materials like fabric, laces, foam, shoulder straps and elastics for these women to use in creating handmade products with help and support of skilled experts from Thai Wacoal Plc who will give them knowledge and ideas for their works to add values and develop the products further. Anyone can help support these women in emergency homes by buying their products and give them opportunity and moral support.”

Intira Narksakul, Marketing Director of Thai Wacoal Public Company Limited, said "As 12^th February 1913 is the birthday of the world's first bra and considered as "Bra Day". Thus, on the 12^th February of every year Thai Wacoal Public Company Limited, a leading manufacturer and distributor of lingerie products under Wacoal brand, organizes "Wacoal Bra Day"  precious bras, generate jobs, save environment. This year is the 8^th year of this project with a slogan “We want your old bras”. According to the Thai female population statistic, there were 28,182,451 women between the age of 10-69 years old in 2017*. Based on the survey, in one year, one woman would buy 5-12 bras and throw away 2 old bras. Each bra has an average weight of 100 grams which means in 1 year, there would be an increase of 5,636 tons of waste. Therefore, Wacoal would like to invite Thai women to show their love to the Earth and the environment by donating any brand of old/deteriorated bras to Wacoal. These bras become valuable when entered disintegration process by burning in a closed system without ash nor smoke and use as an alternative fuel for coal in cement production. This reduces environmental pollution, reduces the use of natural resources and reduces emission of greenhouse gases under the concept of Zero Waste (Waste = Zero). This is another project that helps stimulate and encourage women across the country to check the health of their bras to enhance their personality".

“Wacoal Bra Day” has received donations of more than 300,000 bras from the public since the project started in 2012 which is equivalent to 30 tons of waste. This helps with environmental protection equivalent to 1,800 trees or cut down on the use of 36 tons of coal and reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 17.88 tons of Carbon Dioxide. Wacoal, therefore, would like to invite every woman to participate in this campaign, offer opportunities to other women and generating values to the community and the country by donating unused old bras to "Wacoal Bra Day" project at any Wacoal shops and Wacoal counters throughout the country. For more information, please contact Call Center at 02-296-9979.