Draft plan on plastic waste management gets Cabinet green light
A Cabinet meeting approved a draft action plan to manage plastic waste proposed by the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry under a road map that started in 2018 and will end in 2030, a news source said.
“The plan aims to reduce plastic waste by banning four types of products by 2022 and bringing at least 50 per cent of seven types of plastic products into the circular economy by means of reusing and recycling,” the source said.
The four types of plastic products to be banned by 2022 are:
> Plastic bags with a thickness of less than 36 microns;
> Foam containers for foods, excluding shock-absorbing foam for industrial use;
> Plastic beverage cups with a thickness of less than 100 microns, and
> Plastic straws, except for use in cases of necessity, such as for children, the elderly and patients.
The seven plastic products, at least 50 per cent of which would be targeted for reuse or recycling by 2022, are:
> Heavy duty plastic bags
> Single-layer plastic film containers
> All types of plastic bottles
> Plastic bottle caps
> Plastic beverage cups
> Plastic food containers and trays
> Plastic spoons, forks and knives.
“Under this plan, the ministry aims to reduce plastic waste by 780,000 tonnes per year and reduce the cost of waste management by Bt3.9 billion annually,” the source said.
“It would also reduce the area needed for waste landfill by up to 2,500 rai and reduce emission of greenhouse gases equivalent to 1.2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide,” the source added.