We are all well familiar with melamine in tableware or melamine ware, which is known for durability, longevity, variety of colors and patterns, and low prices. Melamine ware is widely used not only in households but also in food courts where dishes are constantly circulated. Once worn down, melamine ware are sent to incinerators or landfills; because it is thermosetting plastic, it cannot be melted down into recycled resin like other plastics.

   However, melamine actually has many more applications. There has been continuous research and development to improve its properties to better meet user needs as well as enhance recyclability so that degraded melamine can be recycled into new products or used as a substitute material in other products, endlessly extending its value according to the principles of circular economy.

Melamic: More durable and beautiful than ever

   To move beyond the conventional melamine in tablerware, a new material known as melamine ceramics –or Melamic – has been developed. Maintaining the aesthetic quality of ceramic, Melamic is lighter, easy to use, and also resistant to cracks during use or transportation, making it the perfect material for tableware that is put in circulation in a large quantity and a large number of times, such as in food courts, as it can help reduce the amount of damaged tableware that needs to be disposed of each year. At present, Melamic ware is already in use, such as in SCG’s cafeteria.

Antibacterial Melamine: New material for better hygiene

   In 2020, there were over 700,000 cases of diarrhea in Thailand, and the majority of those cases were children under 5, for whom diarrhea could be deadly. Because a major cause of this disease is the consumption of food or water contaminated with bacteria like E. coli or staphylococcus, Thai MFC Co., Ltd. under SCG Chemicals (SCGC) has developed antibacterial melamine, which can inhibit as much as 99.9% bacterial growth compared to regular melamine, thus reducing risk and assuring users of better hygiene.

Plant Me: Plant pots from melamine production leftovers

   The journey of melamine hardly ends when it is transformed into tableware but continues on. To form a complete circular loop and maximize resource efficiency in a creative way, a new product called Plant Me has been developed.

   Made from used melamine ware or scraps from melamine production, the Plant Me pot boasts durability suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. It also retains its color, has a long lifetime, lightweight, and easy to move around. Most importantly, this plant pot can cut the use of virgin material by 20-60%.

   Not only does Plant Me come in different colors and patterns as is usual with most melamine products, the different proportions of melamine fragments in the material also add to that variety, offering patterns like marble, granite, and sandstone. Sitting at 5 inches tall and 6 inches in diameter, each Plant Me pot also comes with a matching saucer.

Basinity: Give a new life to your bathroom with a colorful wash basin

   To take advantage of its durability, easy maintenance, and anti-bacterial properties, melamine has been made into sanitary ware, and the latest example of this is the Basinity wash basin, which further expands the creative use of this material, not to mention the fact that it contributes to environmental conservation and the circular economy.

   Similar to the Plant Me pot, Basinity comes with a beautiful smooth surface and is available in different colors and natural patterns, such as granite and marble. The upcycled melamine material not only allows for different styles of bathroom decoration but is also easy to clean; it can be quickly wiped down with a sponge or with soapy water for stubborn stains.

For more information on melamine and melamine-based products, please contact us at LINE: @ThaiMFC or at Thai MFC Co., Ltd Facebook Fan Page or at Tel: 02-586-3896or at MFC-Marketing_Sect@scg.com