In April 2020, the amount of plastic waste in Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, increased by 62% year-on-year, with an average of 3,432 tons of plastic waste generated every day. About 80% of this garbage is take-out plastic bags, lunch boxes, plastic bottles and plastic cups.
Thailand is one of the largest consumers of plastic bags in the world. According to statistics from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Thailand, in the past 10 years, Thailand consumed an average of 45 billion plastic bags each year. Of the 2 million tons of plastic waste generated in Thailand each year, only 500,000 tons can be recycled.
In November last year, the Thai government approved a proposal proposed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment: From January 1, 2020, in addition to microwaved foods that must be heated, wet foods (canned, viscous, etc.), meat and fruits are still allowed In addition to the use of plastic bags, all shopping malls, supermarkets and convenience stores in Thailand will stop providing plastic shopping bags.
The Thai government also stated that it will solve the problem of plastic waste in accordance with the "Roadmap for Managing Plastic Waste 2018-2030" adopted by the department last year. The roadmap stipulates that by the end of 2019, Thailand banned three types of plastic products including plastic microbeads. By 2022, four types of disposable plastic products, lightweight plastic bags with a thickness of less than 36 microns, styrofoam containers for takeout food, plastic cups and plastic straws, will be banned.（We can use non woven reusable bags, biodegradable tableware, paper drinking cups and bio and disposable paper straw. )By 2027, 100% recyclable plastics will be fully used. Recently, using cloth bags, sacks, woven bags, pots, etc. instead of plastic bags for shopping has gradually become a new fashion for the Thai people.
Plastic waste also threatens the sustainable development of marine ecosystems. In June 2018, a pilot whale stranded in southern Thailand died due to ineffective rescue operations. More than 80 plastic bags weighing 8 kg were found in its stomach.
Thon Trang Navasawa, a marine biologist at the University of Agriculture in Thailand, said that more than 300 marine animals in Thailand die from eating plastic bags each year. The World Economic Forum and the British Ellen MacArthur Foundation issued a report saying that due to lack of timely recycling, plastic waste is spreading rapidly on land and sea. By 2050, the total weight of plastic waste in the global ocean will exceed all fish.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Thailand has called for the reduction of marine debris in three ways: “deactivate, use less, and innovate”. Where plastics can be deactivated, they will be deactivated, and those that cannot be deactivated should be reduced. At the same time, technological innovation and the use of biodegradables should be strengthened. Materials replace traditional plastics.
Many restaurants and coffee shops have responded by replacing plastic straws with non-disposable straws made of plant materials or metal. Many customers also bring their own empty plastic bottles to buy drinks. Ganda, a researcher at the Thailand Marine Resources Research Center, told this reporter that the research center and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment often carry out various activities to attract social organizations and individuals to participate in planting seaweed, picking up trash, etc., to provide clean and fertile marine life. Natural environment. According to data released by the Economic Think Tank Center of Thailand's Forex Bank in November 2019, Thailand's ranking in the world's main source of marine plastic waste dropped from sixth to tenth.