At present, information from the Department of Industrial Works puts the number of companies with permission to import foreign waste operating in free zones around the country at 40 to 50. Pollution Control Department (PCD), Thailand has also investigated this problem and estimate that approximately 80% of marine plastic garbage in Thailand is actually originated from land-based plastic garbage. 0000294114 00000 n Clean the Beach Boot Camp takes a different approach by appealing to visitors to Thailand. At home, at work, in the community, and while traveling, plastic has undoubtedly made our lives easier. In 2017, 10 tons of PET waste bottles were collected from Samet Island and coastal areas in Rayong, and turned into 50,000 polyethylene terephthalate t-shirts. 0000377633 00000 n Adopting a circular living approach, like this, to plastics benefits the environment, the companies that create and sustain these practices, and the consumers who need to use plastic products but dont want to contribute to a plastic waste problem. 0000406514 00000 n Critics point to bigger issues with poorly regulated wildlife farmingnot just the market itselfas the root cause of COVID-19. 0000378023 00000 n It is estimated that approximately 12% of the total amount of waste generated in Thailand are plastic waste. This website uses cookies to give you a better experience of the website. The usage of SUP is very short and it will be discarded as a solid waste with increasing quantity and proportion. , we are involved with studies working to understand the nature of local plastic waste systems in Bangkok, Thailand, and their impacts on the lives of the people that interact with those systems. The government was set to ban imports of plastic in September 2020 as part of its Roadmap on Plastic Waste Management 20182030. Due to such circumstance, it is estimated that online food delivery in Thailand will reach 250 million orders in 2020 with growth of approximately 100% YTY. A version of plastic waste roadmap leaflet in English distributed by Pollution Control Department. Pristine unspoiled waters and clean golden beaches in Ko Samet, one of the Eastern seaboard islands of Thailand. It is also predicted that instead of reducing plastic waste, if the trend continues, the plastic waste in Thailand will increase by 15% from last year. For example, when a Facebook user returns to Facebook from our site, Facebook can identify them as part of a group of China Dialogue readers, and deliver them marketing messages from us, i.e. Nathida waits her turn at the recycling centre to weigh the materials she has delivered (Image: A worker at Thawat Krairaks recycling plant in Bangkok collects plastic bottles to feed into a compressing machine (Image: EARTH Director Penchom Saetang (left) and Attaphon Charoenchansa, director-general of the Pollution Control Department, speak at a meeting attended by the SRTA and environmental groups at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. Commercial businesses around the world, including those in Thailand, also have an interest in addressing the issue of plastic waste. Cookie information is stored in your browser. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Thailand must focus on reducing the use of plastic to the least, while aiming for dropping out of top ten should be the main target. 1.03 Million ton/year was estimated to be from Thailand. On April 17th 2018, in a cabinet meeting, the Prime Minister has issued an order to Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to work with all sectors and develop a set of action plan to prevent and solve the problem of plastic waste throughout its cycle (from production, distribution, consumption and disposal). Twitter - Twitter is a real-time information network that connects you to the latest stories, ideas, opinions and news about what you find interesting. It is also estimated that, plastic waste in Thailand is recycled at the rate of approximately 0.5 million tons per year, while the remaining 1.5 million tons are mostly single use plastics (SUP) such as hot bags, cold bags, handle bags, plastic cups, plastic straws, foam boxes, and food containers. 0000437357 00000 n 0000012804 00000 n Their more recent actions will have been equally hard for the government to ignore. Plastic management rules are now being discussed over the world. To see more of his work, visit: https://www.lukeduggleby.com/. 0000013395 00000 n trailer <<1A827BA406DC4C28A1B6AB18C1FD0C0B>]/Prev 1546097/XRefStm 2565>> startxref 0 %%EOF 722 0 obj <>stream Upcycling the Oceans,Thailand volunteers cleaning up plastic waste on the beach. Education and action across the board, from local start-ups to big players, will go a long way in reducing the use of disposable plastics in Thailand and beyond. Many researches have also found microplastics are distributed in many areas of the environment such as among sands in beaches, among sediment in the estuary, as well as in human food chain. China Dialogue uses several functional cookies to collect anonymous information such as the number of site visitors and the most popular pages. Representatives of the SRTA, as well as concerned environmental groups such as EARTH and Greenpeace, were invited to the meeting. According to the Plastic Pollution Coalition, by 2050 the oceans will contain more plastic than fish by weight. The Big Apple has a rich and storied maritime history. Thailand is known for its beautiful beaches, and its one of the top 10 most-visited countries in the world. Venice's plan to save the city may also destroy its fragile lagoons. 0000014242 00000 n Throughout September, hundreds of garbage collectors from Thailands Saleng and Recycle Trader Association (SRTA) gathered in Bangkok to protest outside government offices against the continued import of foreign waste. There is a lack of confidence across the coalition of 108 organisations that a ban will be brought in this year, and they are now considering legal action against the government if it doesnt happen. Especially the private sector, which has created an impetus for the public to be alert to significantly reduce the use of plastic bags and foam boxes. This article is written by Chris Oestereich Frsa, Linear to Circular and Wicked Problems Collaborative. . hbb2``b``3 1x4> $ 0000013059 00000 n This is according to data it collected for an upcoming report from all the available official sources, including figures from the auction of containers full of imported plastic waste at Laem Chabang Port. Many of the saleng, though, are talking about another approach: using their vast network to simply stop collecting waste altogether to see what happens. 0000002565 00000 n 0000013680 00000 n From the moment we wake up and clean our teeth we are surrounded by plastic. PTT Global Chemical Public Co., Ltd. (GC), an international petrochemical company based in Thailand, developed a circular living approach to the use of plastics using three core components: waste management, recycling/upcycling, and compostable bioplastics. the processes of waste collection, sorting, and recycling. The organization offers free beach workouts at three different locations, for tourists to both burn calories and feel great after. 0000011717 00000 n 0000377754 00000 n %PDF-1.4 % If an aggregator does not have a convenient outlet with which to sell a specific material, or the price is unfavorable, they will tend not to accept the material, and it will become waste. 0000277473 00000 n I think they will maybe implement the ban in 2025, but I am not confident. Get a weekly email featuring the pick of our articles, a digest of environmental stories from China, occasional news on events we host and our annual readership survey. 'open' : ''" data-topics="[{"term_id":758,"name":"Business","slug":"business","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":758,"taxonomy":"category","description":"Coverage of the policies and infrastructure shaping efforts to green global trade and investment, including China's Belt and Road Initiative","parent":0,"count":1138,"filter":"raw","cd_tag_id":null,"cd_type":null,"cd_topic_id":"36","cat_ID":758,"category_count":1138,"category_description":"Coverage of the policies and infrastructure shaping efforts to green global trade and investment, including China's Belt and Road Initiative","cat_name":"Business","category_nicename":"business","category_parent":0},{"term_id":759,"name":"Cities","slug":"cities","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":759,"taxonomy":"category","description":"Tracking efforts to create healthier urban spaces and communities through eco-city design, better waste management and a circular 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Surging imports of plastic waste have put a strain on the livelihoods of Thailands informal trash collectors. - read full contents of the padlocked articles. 0000010093 00000 n Taking a more direct approach, EcoThailand seeks to improve local beaches and waterways by working with the Thai government, local communities, and tourists candidly to create and maintain a clean environment, addressing the plastics problem on multiple fronts. (Prime examples of this are bottles made out of PET with color added to the plastic and styrofoam containers.) 0000309295 00000 n 0000346435 00000 n 638 0 obj <> endobj xref 638 85 The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes. 0000014913 00000 n Pricing and material acceptance affect waste collectors choices regarding the plastics they select and where and when they choose to work. Tourists enjoying a relaxed atmosphere on Ko Samet. 0000209720 00000 n Uncarefully discarding of plastic waste is a very common practice in Thailand. Sorting will reduce the amount of plastic waste sent to landfills and increase the reuse of plastic through the recycle or upcycle process of private companies and to provide a circular economy system. Participants have to volunteer to clean waste from the beach after they workout. As we noted in our prior post Repeated lockdowns have made it hard for them to collect enough recyclables to earn a living. Click it to be added to the list. 0000243429 00000 n 0000437653 00000 n 0000378881 00000 n If the price drops, we cant just stop trading, she said. At the beginning of 2019, the price of waste paper dropped from around seven baht [US$0.21) to below two baht [US$0.06) per kilo, he explains. However; the trend of reducing plastic waste in Thailand was somehow unexpectedly stopped due to arrival of COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand on March 2020. Towards inclusive urban waste systems: integrating informal waste workers for a circular economy, Living with trash: Bangkoks waste pickers and the recycling economy. China Dialogue uses cookies to provide you with the best user experience possible. While there are many large, internationally known nonprofit organizations working to combat plastic pollution in the oceans, homegrown groups in Thailand play a key role in providing education on plastic pollution while also encouraging people to take practical action steps on a local level. In order for Thailand to combat the waves of plastic waste affecting the countrys oceans and beaches, there needs to be concerted efforts from all parties: the local government, eco-minded organizations, and businesses all working together to address the root of the problem. Holding placards announcing their demands, and calling on officials to come out and receive their petitions, they were determined to make their disapproval heard, and hoped this would persuade the government to bring the ban in imminently. Since the start of 2018, when China began imposing bans on waste imports there, Thailand and other countries in Southeast Asia have become a new dumping ground, inundated by plastics, electronics and paper, as well as other types of waste, coming mainly from western nations. Thailand government has realized the seriousness of environmental pollution problem caused by plastic waste. 0000009858 00000 n 0000407115 00000 n The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, expected that this policy willresult in reduction of volume of plastic waste by 0.78 million tons per year and save 3.9 billion baht in cost of waste management annually. As part of this initiative, volunteers remove plastic waste from Thailands oceans and beaches. 0000210306 00000 n 0000013653 00000 n But it takes more than individual efforts to have a large-scale effect on the plastic problem. Septembers protests by the saleng were sparked by an online meeting on the 6th of that month between government agencies and other parties involved in the waste import and recycling sector, including large manufacturers. 0000011030 00000 n According to the United Nations, the pandemic has pushed millions of Thailands most vulnerable back into poverty, increasing reliance on informal work like that done by the saleng. This small business buys in electronic waste collected by, Roadmap on Plastic Waste Management 20182030, Bonn climate talks end with almost empty pages, Chinas Five Year Plan for energy: One eye on security today, one on a low-carbon future, Nickel drama highlights Tsingshans role in energy transition, Belt and Road must align with Paris Agreement government guidance, Chinese standard tries to kickstart a sustainable rubber revolution. But the campaign doesnt stop there once the plastics are collected, theyre further upcycled and turned into sustainable clothing. Campaigns for promoting public participation in reducing and stopping the use of plastic were lunched through conventional and on-line medias toward the end of 2019. 0000009509 00000 n On November 27th 2019, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, announced that the continuous campaigns to raise awareness among people and foreign tourists on plastic waste in very short time had already moved Thailand from the country with the highest sea debris in the world from 6th rank down to 10th rank. endstream endobj 639 0 obj <>/Metadata 55 0 R/Pages 54 0 R/StructTreeRoot 57 0 R/Type/Catalog/ViewerPreferences<>>> endobj 640 0 obj >/PageTransformationMatrixList<0[1.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 -420.945]>>/PageUIDList<0 2038>>/PageWidthList<0 595.276>>>>>>/Resources<>/ExtGState<>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageC/ImageI]/Properties<>/Shading<>/XObject<>>>/Rotate 0/StructParents 0/TrimBox[0.0 0.0 595.276 841.89]/Type/Page>> endobj 641 0 obj <> endobj 642 0 obj <> endobj 643 0 obj <> endobj 644 0 obj <> endobj 645 0 obj <> endobj 646 0 obj <> endobj 647 0 obj <> endobj 648 0 obj <> endobj 649 0 obj <> endobj 650 0 obj <>stream

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