The Thai government has announced that it will completely ban plastic waste imports by the end of 2024, as the kingdom sets its sights on reducing the environmental impact of plastics and shedding the label of being one of the world’s plastic bins.
Deputy Government Spokesperson Tipanan Sirichana explained that the move will also reduce the price of local plastic products, adding that the policy will mainly be under the responsibility of the Department of Foreign Trade and the Ministry of Industry.
Beginning 2025, Thailand will no longer allow imports of plastic scraps. These items will be listed as prohibited materials by the Ministry of Commerce and will be denied entry into the kingdom. Only 14 Thai factories in tariff-free zones have been allowed to import and utilize these items for export purposes over the period of 2023-2024.
The total ceiling limit for importing plastic scraps is currently around 373,000 metric tons annually.
According to Tipanan, the import volume is allowed at 100% of actual domestic plastic production capacity this year, with the volume to be reduced by half next year.
Importers must also have measures in place to mitigate the potential environmental impact of plastic waste. (NNT)
