Thailand pushes Action Plan Phase 2 for plastic waste management: Successful declaration reduces over 100,000 tons of plastic bag usage

     Plastic waste continues to be a significant environmental issue that many countries are addressing, and Thailand is no exception. The country has launched campaigns to reduce and eliminate plastic bag use and initiated various projects to raise awareness amongst its citizens.

A roadmap for plastic waste management was set for 2018-2030, with two main objectives:

1. Reducing and eliminating the use of plastic by substituting with environmentally friendly materials.
2. Achieving 100% reuse of plastic waste by 2027.

     The campaign to reduce and eliminate the use of plastic, promoting the reuse of plastic through the campaign to promote doing good deeds by reducing, giving and using plastic bags initiated by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, has successfully reduced the use of plastic shopping bags and foam food containers in fresh markets, municipalities, private sectors, department stores, and convenience stores nationwide. This resulted in a reduction of about 3,414 million pieces, or about 9,824 metric tons, from July 21, 2018, to December 31, 2019. This has drawn more attention from the public to the issue of plastic waste and encouraged their participation.

     This cooperation led to the upgrading of the campaign, joining forces with the network of department stores, supermarkets, and convenience stores across the country, including 90 companies, to stop providing single-use plastic bags, under the campaign “Everyday Say No To Plastic Bags” from January 1, 2020, to December 2022. This resulted in a reduction of 14,349.6 million pieces or 81,531 tons of single-use plastic shopping bags. More than 90% of the public agreed with this campaign.

     Furthermore, related agencies continuously carry out activities to reduce and stop the use of single-use plastic, such as promoting the use of environmentally friendly alternative products, establishing a prototype fresh market, reducing and sorting waste in government units, and the Plastic-for-Merit project (Recycle when you can). This resulted in an overall reduction of 43% or 148,699 tons of plastic bag use.

     The Department of Pollution Control has developed the second phase of the plastic waste management action plan (2023-2027) to continue the first phase (2020-2022) that has ended. The new plan aims to upgrade plastic waste management, prioritizing new waste management strategies starting from eco-friendly product design, promoting sustainable consumption, selecting products and packaging that can be reused, and adopting mixed waste management strategies to maximize resource recovery from waste in the form of recycling materials and energy.

The goals are:

1. 100% reduction of target plastic waste (all types of plastic bottles, bottle caps, single-layer plastic film packaging, plastic bags with handles, and plastic cups/glasses) entering the landfill system.
2. 100% recycling of target plastic products.
3. 50% reduction of plastic waste that potentially escapes into the sea.

Data updated on February 15, 2023

Source : Department of Pollution Control

Tel: +66 2298 2000

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