File photo of Arada Fuangtong, Department of Foreign Trade director-general. Ms. Arada says the move includes an amendment to item no 39.15 of Thailand’s Tariff Schedule, which covers import of waste, parings and plastic scraps. PHOTO: THE NATION

BANGKOK – Importers in Thailand will not be allowed to bring plastic waste into the kingdom from January 1, 2025 as the country moves to prevent hazards to the environment and public health, the Department of Foreign Trade announced on Tuesday.

The move, proposed by the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, was approved by the Cabinet on December 3 and published in the Royal Gazette on Monday (December 16), Arada Fuangtong, the department’s director-general said.

She said the move includes an amendment to item no 39.15 of Thailand’s Tariff Schedule, which covers import of waste, parings and plastic scraps.

The original schedule stipulates that the import of plastics scraps into the kingdom is permitted in the event of supplies being inadequate and must be approved by the Department of Industrial Works. After the amendment, all imports of plastic waste will be banned from January 1 onwards.

The department has notified importers that they have until December 31 to complete their pending imports of affected products, she added.

The move is a result of the cabinet resolution on February 21, 2023, which aims to have relevant agencies establish measures to regulate the import of plastic scraps for use as raw materials in industrial factories. Agencies are also required to promote the recycling of domestic plastic waste under the framework of the BCG (Bio, Circular, Green) economy model.

“The ban on imports will help stimulate plastic recycling in Thailand, ensuring more efficient resource usage and reducing the amount of unused plastic waste,” said Arada. “This will also help reduce pollution that could impact the environment and public health.” THE NATION/ANN