Over the next six months, Thailand will ban the importation of 432 types of e-waste, including circuit boards, old TV and radio parts, and other electronic scrap. A full list of items is yet to be announced.
Importing plastic waste is also to be banned within two years. The use of plastic bags and bottles in government institutions, private offices, and tourist attractions will be significantly reduced. Imposing a tax on plastic bags is also being considered. By 2021, Thailand aims to recycle up to 60 percent of its plastic litter.
In early June, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) supported an initiative of the department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) to prohibit use of plastic bags and disposable food containers in the country’s national parks. Plastic debris annually kills more than 300 sea creatures, including dolphins, turtles, and whales. If measures aren’t taken now, plastic litter in the ocean will triple over the next decade, environmentalists say.