Thailand becoming ‘garbage bin of world’

[webfact]

Thailand becoming ‘garbage bin of world’

By PRATCH RUJIVANAROM 
THE NATION

 

File photo

 

Waste policies encourage wrong choices; reducing, reusing and recycling should come first, say environmentalists.
 

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 burning 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 advantages 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 the 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-to-energy plants. Those criteria include the availability of a feed-in powerline, ability to ensure a feedstock of at least 300 tonnes of garbage. In contrast, a total 102 areas in 49 provinces have the capacities for investment in refuse-derived fuel (RDF) processing plants. For the less populated areas that have below 50 tonnes of waste generated per day, the authorities and residents are advised to locally process their waste into fertiliser and bury the leftover garbage in a local sanitary landfill.

 

As of the end of 2017, the Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency Department reported that there were 15 waste-to-energy plants operating – both biogas plants and waste incinerators – and generating a total 42.82 megawatts of electricity. Nine of these waste-to-energy plants in Bangkok, Phuket, Samut Prakan, Tak, Saraburi, and Khon Kaen are waste incinerators operated by private companies.

 

Lack of waste segregation was another big problem that needed addressing to properly operate a waste-to-energy plant in Thailand, Penchom said. The waste-to-energy plants in Hat Yai and Phuket, were burning all kinds of garbage for power, without segregation to pull out less flammable materials, thus causing serious environmental problems and also damaging the operational system of the plants, she said.

 

To get a better burn, “the operators of these plants then turn to external sources of higher quality waste and import plastic waste from other countries as fuel to supply the operation of their plants and keep their business running”, she said.

 

If the trend continued, “Thailand will eventually be the waste disposal hub of the world, leaving only hazardous ashes, sicknesses from pollution and a contaminated environment for Thai people”.

 

Plastic waste smuggling to Thailand is already underway, as demonstrated by recent media reports after officers on May 30 found four containers of plastic waste at Laem Chabang Seaport. It was later identified that these plastic wastes had originated from 35 countries.

Penchom urged the related agencies not to prioritise generating electricity from waste, but to instead correctly tackle the country’s waste by first reducing, reusing and recycling before turning the remaining unrecyclable waste into energy.

 

In an update on the progress of the country’s waste management masterplan, inspector of Local Administration Department Suwit Chanhuan said that 5,731 local administrative organisations have already grouped together with nearby counterparts to form 324 clusters for the efficient enhancement of waste management.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30347404

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-06-11

[ukrules]

They will probably arrest this woman due to some <deleted> up defamation law.

[Get Real]

32 minutes ago, webfact said:

Waste policies encourage wrong choices; reducing, reusing and recycling should come first, say environmentalists.

You do not have to encourage people to make the wrong choices here. They do it automatically on a daily basis.
As long as there is no possibility to get people to follow rules regulary, there is no positive future for anything.

[Samui Bodoh]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

According to the five-year waste management masterplan, local administrative organisations are required to manage waste.

Who supervises the local administrative organizations? And do the local administrative organizations have the technical know-how to properly oversee private companies operating in their territory?

 

No one (properly) and no they don't.

 

Here in Koh Samui, the incinerator broke down 5-6 years ago and still has not been fixed. So, waste is collected (badly, but it is collected) and then put into landfills which grow and grow and grow. The last environmental measure that I heard of on Koh Samui was a plan to cover the landfill sites with a tarp so that people didn't see them.

 

This is a country-wide problem and needs a country-wide solution of investment, education and infrastructure.

 

But, I ain't holding my breath.

 

Hmm... that isn't right; sometimes I have to hold my breath...

 

 

Edited June 10, 2018 by Samui Bodoh
Lack of coffee and general anger

[MrMuddle]

This beautiful country deserves better.

[ezzra]

'Thailand becoming ‘garbage bin of world’

As far as undesirables, crooks and criminal residing here concerns, IT IS already the garbage bin of the world....

[YetAnother]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

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.

doesn't sound anywhere near 'good governance'; in this area, the gov't would be better off doing nothing ? seems all they really had to do was consult the experts beforehand

[Artisi]

Another hub for the tourist authority to put a spin on  - the main problem in promotion is that it wasn't invented here.... So they say. 

Edited June 10, 2018 by Artisi

[z42]

Sadly it appears that ship has sailed. With personal attitudes and govt approaches like they are currently it is going to get so much worse.

Such a shame what is such a beautiful country is being decimated so rapidly by its own inhabitants

[kannot]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

based on the assumption that they are more able and ready to properly oversee waste disposal.

BIG MISTAKE

[kannot]

23 minutes ago, Artisi said:

Another hub for the tourist authority to put a spin on  - the main problem in promotion is that it wasn't invented here.... So they say. 

No no no they can easily "rewrite" history, theyve done it  for hundreds of years, hence the "Great Thai Nation"

[Jeremy50]

Environmental degradation of any form simply isn't on the radar of Thai people, who tend to notice other people, food and shopping, and not much else..  The government is currently concreting over the banks of the river Mekong ending thousands of years of fertile grassy banks, it's a 30 year project which sees the movement of millions of tons of rock and concrete into rural areas every year, and the removal of thousands of trees. Concrete and steel walkways where there are no people!  Absolute insanity, just for the enrichment of a few dozen people making that 20%. Yet, not a word of protest against it. Do most Thais register the mounds of trash all over Thailand? No.

[poanoi]

hoping for a bio-degradable watertight bag that will break down within a year,

thailand salvation

[pokerface1]

The Thai people have a love affair with all thing  plastic. It's that simple!!

[sammieuk1]

Political hot air incineration is the way to go export it all to the UK 

[Darcula]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand becoming ‘garbage bin of world’

 

Somchai finally finds his calling.

[inThailand]

Another well deserved hub! 

[connda]

Another 'First'!!! If the shoe fits, wear it! 

 

Edited June 11, 2018 by connda

[BEngBKK]

Thailand becoming ‘garbage bin of world’......

Does it matter..  Most of Thailand already smell and most Thais already addicted their little scent stick and jars 

[MaxLee]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand becoming ‘garbage bin of world’

Thailand IS ALREADY the ‘garbage bin of world....

[bluesofa]

28 minutes ago, Darcula said:

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand becoming ‘garbage bin of world’

Somchai finally finds his calling.

 

Sadly, he is going to become a millionaire almost overnight.

 

[drgoon]

They should follow Norway's example. 

 

But...  of course they won't. 

[Destiny1990]

Thailand hub of the plastic burning.

[wvavin]

I am not surprised that Thailand has clenched the world number 1 again on this garbage issue. You don't need an expert to know this in particular Bangkok, where every street corner smells!

[Zack61]

Thailand becoming ‘garbage bin of world’

 

Becoming???? Pretty sure this achievement is already dirty water under the bridge. 

[lvr181]

4 hours ago, ukrules said:

They will probably arrest this woman due to some f****ed up defamation law.

Who would be surprised. Goes along with the current trends of Government "shooting the messenger"! 

[Anak Nakal]

Not pollute is easy.

Thailand just not try.

[utalkin2me]

Every country complains about this crap. Tree huggers cry about it; I am a tree hugger btw.

 

I do not see the big mystery, i really don't. 

 

Compell all beverage makers to use returnable bottles. Stop giving out straws like crazy. Do something about plastic shopping bags, preferably compell reusable cloth bags. 

 

It is not going to solve everything, but it will be a lot better. And this are all perfectly reasonable. They already have a system in place for returnable bottles. Just exapand it. Straws is easy, just stop giving them. Outlaw them, nobody needs a straw. Learn to drink from a damn glass or bottle you pussies. And the plastic bags would be easy. The govy could even give out the cloth bags to comsumers. 

 

The reusable bottles actually helps consumerism. What the hell is the guy who returns his reusable bottles going to do when he gets his money back? Buy more stuff! 

 

Plus all these companies could then market their product as green. The en vogue thing. 

 

Edited June 11, 2018 by utalkin2me

[alant]

It's everywhere

[electric]

14 minutes ago, drgoon said:

They should follow Norway's example. 

 

But...  of course they won't. 

 

What happened in Norway ? Genuine question.