Thailand has banned plastic waste imports in a bid to tackle pollution.
The South East Asian country this month implemented the long-anticipated measure, which was confirmed almost two years ago.
According to local title Thaiger, the ban only allows import of the material where it is critical for production.
Campaigning charity Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) hailed the move as “a monumental victory for the health of the country’s people and environment”.
However, it added that “history has shown that such bans, while necessary, often displace the problem rather than solve it”.
The body reiterated calls for a legally binding global plastics treaty to “hold the largest waste-generating nations accountable”.
EIA Ocean team legal and policy specialist Amy Youngman said there was a “glaring inequity in the global plastic waste trade” that allowed “wealthy nations and the largest plastic producers to prioritise their own convenience, using waste exports to cushion their excessive consumption habits and rid themselves of the toxic burdens in their own backyards”.
She added: “This status quo perpetuates harm in the Global South, where communities suffer from the pollution, toxic fumes and health risks of mismanaged waste.”
