Top Thai industry group helping to reduce plastic waste

The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), the Kingdom’s leading business association, has signed on to a program that will manage and reduce plastic waste in 68 municipalities as Thailand transitions towards a circular economy.

“The program aims to support the government’s plastic waste management roadmap, which set a target to recycle 100 percent of plastic waste,” said Channa Iamsaeng, Governor of Rayong province, just east of Bangkok. “It is expected to increase the amount of recycled plastic by more than 1,000 tons a year.”

The Federation has come out strongly in support of developing the bio-green-circular (BCG) economy. Recycling, along with careful stewardship of natural resources, are integral to a circular economy.

“This cooperation will also increase the competitiveness of Thai industries, following the direction of economic and technological development,” said Viraj Klewpatinond, Chairman of the Federation’s Plastic Industry Club.

Wijarn Simachaya, Chairman of PPP Plastic, said that the group wanted to help reduce plastic waste in the ocean by at least 50 percent by 2027 under the government’s Roadmap of Plastic Waste Management, implemented between 2018 and 2030.

The world has been struggling with the challenges posed by plastic waste for several years. Some of the waste originates from the countries themselves, and some are imported. In the past two to three years, some countries in Southeast Asia, including Thailand, have stopped imports of plastic waste.

Before that, they accepted plastic waste from other countries for the purpose of recycling and to support the growth of local waste management sectors. However, the shipments eventually dwarfed the capacity of waste management firms.