The Government of Thailand has agreed to ban the import of waste plastics from 1 January 2025.
At a meeting of the Subcommittee on Plastic and Electronic Waste, which was chaired by Environment Minister Warawut Silpa-archa, Thailand’s Department of Industrial Works, Commerce Department, Customs Department and others all voted to ban the import of waste plastics.
From 1 January 2023, companies in 14 industrial free trade zones will be permitted to import no more than 100% of their actual production capacity.
Then from 1 January 2024, this will be reduced to 50% of their actual production capacity.
Companies outside of these zones will only be able to import if the Thai Government decides that there is not enough plastic feedstock for recycling in the country up to the end of 2024.
Then from 1 January 2025, it will be prohibited in all areas of Thailand to import plastic scrap.
Thailand’s Ministry of Commerce will now finalise the law built on a draft produced by the Department of Foreign Affairs.
The country will now also instigate a plan to collect more plastic from its own waste management sources.
Mr Warawut Silpa-archa said that the new laws would be “a gift for all Thai people” and would prevent Thailand from becoming “the trash of the world”.
