By 2025 all plastic waste imports will be banned from Thailand in a three-stage plan. The ban is part of the greater plastic reduction movement to control pollution and protect people’s health.
For decades, Southeast Asian developing countries like Thailand have been dumping grounds for foreign nations’ trash. China was the worlds largest importer of plastic waste until 2017 with a staggering average annual intake of 8 million tonnes per year from around 90 countries worldwide. Since 2018 the Chinese government brought in an import ban on solid waste including certain plastics and other recyclable waste. Exporters like the US have therefore been rerouting their plastic waste to the Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam and Thailand.
Hazardous levels of air and water pollution have been experienced in the country due to the high amounts of plastic waste and the ban has been in discussion since 2020. Statistics from the Customs Department show that the plastic waste imports have surpassed 500,000 tonnes which is 10 times higher than the average amount imported before 2015.
Plastic alone is set to generate more carbon emissions than coal by 2030 which is currently one of the biggest environmental problems. Many nations around the world will feel the repercussions of the new waste import policies by Thailand however this will enforce dealing with their own waste problems. They will have no other option but to implement new policies aimed at reducing overall plastic circulation.
