Need for proper waste management
Expert: Thailand at risk of becoming world’s garbage bin due to govt policies
BANGKOK: Experts on waste management and environmental protection are warning that Thailand could become the garbage bin of the world, as the government’s policies to promote the waste-to-energy industry have already resulted in plastic waste imports to the kingdom.
Ecological Alert and Recovery Thailand director Penchom Saetang said the country’s recent waste management trends run counter to correct waste management methods.
The government’s current path will prevent a proper solution to waste management problems and unintentionally lead to waste from other countries being dumped in Thailand, she said.
Penchom singled out for criticism the promotion of private investment in small waste-to-energy projects across the country.
“Waste-to-energy is one of the most polluting methods for both waste management and power generation, because not only will burn- ing garbage emit toxic pollutants, but the leftover ashes are also very hazardous and require very careful disposal in a secured landfill.
“And so building many small waste-to-energy plants is a very bad decision,” Penchom said.
“I do not contest the advantage of waste-to-energy, as it is one of the acceptable measures to deal with unrecyclable waste, but we should have only a few big waste-to-energy plants that are properly equipped with all pollution control measures.”
Highlighting her concern over the small size of the waste-to-energy projects now being promoted by the government, Penchom said it was not cost effective for investors to install expensive pollution-control systems.
They are forced to reduce the money spent on environmental protection in order to keep their investment profitable.
According to the five-year waste management masterplan, local administrative organisations are required to manage waste.
However, the private sector is also encouraged to invest in waste disposal plants, based on the assumption that they are more able and ready to properly oversee waste disposal.
Forty-four provinces meet the criteria, allowing them to initiate private-sector investment in waste-toenergy plants.