Thailand to junk three kinds of plastic by end of this year

End of this year, Thailand will be free from three types of plastic – microbeads, cap seals and oxo-degradable plastics – and from four other types of single-use plastics by 2022, according to a road map that got the Cabinet’s initial nod on Tuesday.

The Plastic Waste Management Road Map 2018-2030 also included an ambitious plan for Thailand to use 100 per cent recycled plastic by 2027 in various forms, including turning waste into energy, Assistant Government Spokesman Colonel Athisit Chainuwat said.

The four single-use plastics to be rid of by 2022 are: lightweight plastic bags less than 36 microns thick; styrofoam food containers for takeaways; plastic cups and plastic straws – with the exception of those who still need to use them such as the elderly, patients and children.

Keep reading