The long-standing fight by civil society to protect Thailand from becoming a dumping ground for global plastic waste achieved a significant milestone when a law banning the import of plastic scraps into the country came into effect on Jan 1.
However, this does not mark a definitive victory, nor is it a happy ending just yet.
An ongoing process of monitoring and the efficient enforcement of the law are essential to prevent illegal plastic waste shipments into the country.
Penchom Sae-Tang, director of Ecological Alert and Recovery-Thailand (Earth), who played a key role in campaigning against plastic waste imports, expressed her gratitude to members of the Anti-Plastic Scrap Citizen Network who dedicated their time towards turning advocacy into action.
The network's efforts began in 2021 with a petition to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, urging the government to impose a ban on plastic scrap imports.
The movement gained widespread support, with endorsements from 108 civil society organisations and 32,000 individuals signing an online petition on Change.org which helped push the movement forward.
Ms Penchom said Thailand became a global destination for plastic waste dumping after the government allowed the import of plastic waste in 2018 to purportedly support the plastic recycling industry.
The Department of Customs said over 1.1 million tonnes of plastic scrap were imported between 2018 and 2021.
This influx, she said, disrupted the local waste management cycle and harmed small-scale waste collectors, who protested against the policy due to significant business losses.
Ms Penchom also said poor law enforcement had enabled the entry of contaminated and illegal waste, leading to pollution in communities near plastic recycling plants and sparking numerous public complaints.
"The ban on all plastic scrap imports should be seen as a triumph for civil society in preventing hazardous waste from entering Thailand," she said.
"However, our work is far from over.
"Vigilant monitoring and robust cooperation with authorities will be critical to ensuring the law is enforced for the benefit of all."
Ms Penchom said the network would monitor the situation.
She also emphasised the Ministry of Industry must exercise caution when permitting any plastic scrap imports in exceptional cases, ensuring quantities are strictly aligned with the production capacity of recycling plants to avoid excessive waste.
"This is just the beginning of a new chapter.
"Law enforcement must play a pivotal role in safeguarding the environment for everyone," she stressed.
Pollution caused by plastic waste recycling sites has severely affected the livelihoods and welfare of local communities, particularly those near farms or waterways such as rivers and canals, Ms Penchom said.
In December last year, the Ministry of Commerce announced a complete ban on plastic scrap imports, set to take effect on Jan 1, 2025.
However, the announcement included a provision allowing the Department of Industrial Works to approve imports if domestic plastic scrap supplies prove insufficient.
In 2023, the government permitted the legal import of 372,994 tonnes of plastic scraps, limited to 14 designated industrial zones.
Public advocacy and the government's preparations for a full ban reduced this volume by half in 2024.
Penchom: Thankful to the network
Phicha Rakrod, leader of Greenpeace Thailand's project to end plastic pollution, urged the government to expand the ban on all types of plastic waste to ensure the country remains free from transboundary waste shipments.
She also called on the government to seize this opportunity to position Thailand as a regional leader in combating and regulating transboundary waste.
Phicha: Govt must expand the ban