Thailand generates less marine debris

 

 

BANGKOK (NNT) - The amount of marine debris generated in Thailand has dropped to 21,700-32,600 tons annually, after the initial success of a project to increase the reuse and recycling of materials by 25 percent. Plastic bags remain the largest proportion of marine debris found in the environment.

 

The Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment’s (MNRE) Permanent Secretary Jatuporn Buruspat, has revealed a downward trend in the quantity of marine debris generated in Thailand, with the volume of marine debris washed ashore in 2018 at between 21,700-32,600 tons annually, which is an obvious decrease from the amount in 2016 of between 33,900-51,000 tons.

 

He said the decrease in marine debris is due to greater reuse and recycling of materials, from 15% to 25%.

 

In 2018, the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) conducted a study of microplastic contamination in the environment caused by the degradation of plastic debris, and its potential long-tern effect on the food chain and human health. The study, conducted in 18 seaside provinces, found 53-2,102 pieces of microplastic per square meter of beach in the dry season, with the level of concentration dropping to 0-974 pieces per square meter in the rainy season.

 

Every year the department holds activities to celebrate the International Coastal Cleanup, on the 3rd September each year. This year, the department also held events on 21st September in 24 seaside provinces which helped remove 230,000 pieces of debris, weighing 10 tons in total, from the marine ecology. Most of this debris was assorted plastics, with plastic bags at 22 percent, plastic bottles at 16 percent, foam food containers at 9 percent, along with glass bottles at 5 percent, and drinking straws at 5 percent.

 

The MNRE permanent secretary has stressed 350,081 pieces of debris have so far been collected this year, from beaches in 23 seaside provinces, weighing in total 32.83 tons. The largest proportion of this debris is plastic bags amounting to 11.71 percent, followed by foam food containers and food bags.

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2019-10-02

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The Dugongs and Whales must be eating it all....

regards worgeordie

Pardon the Pun but this report is 'Rubbish'. !

all thai rubbish is Lead weighted? so that all evidence sinks

See, that's what you get when you scare all the tourists away... uh, I mean...

My neighbours are burning more plastic rubbish than ever.

You wait for the sea to fill up if recycling becomes an unsustainable living for trash collectors 

Maybe due to economic downturn?

A toilet can only hold so much <deleted>?

1 hour ago, SoilSpoil said:

My neighbours are burning more plastic rubbish than ever.

So are mine,no wait hang on that's OK it's just the wife burning more plastic rubbish!

As a SCUBA diver I am really happy to see the emphasis on stopping the use of single use plastics of any kind.  In the general population very, very few people see (or care about) the havoc caused In the seas from disposed plastic items.  Yes, the marine life does ingest plastics, becomes sick and then ends up on your dinner table.  YUK!  Apart from the disposal of plastics the even bigger problem I see on a daily basis is individuals and even some restaurants pouring the days food waste and cooking oils down the storm drains.  Yes, unbelievable but I have really witnessed this.  Surprise!  Because of the waste processing done (or not) this waste makes it into the lakes, rivers and the seas around Thailand.  Again, making marine life sick that will someday end up on your dinner table.  If there is any doubt, the seas around Pattaya once (30+ years ago) had beautiful reefs and were teeming with marine life.  Partly due to over fishing but I think more because of pollution, about all that is left is thousands of spiny sea urchins.  This pollution has the potential totally kill tourism especially for those people looking for pristine beaches and places to swim.  Stopping these pollution causing items from getting into the waters will require, first of all education and second costly measures to process and clean all waste containing water before it enters any local waters.     

   

Good to see the figures are declining but last I read Thailand was #6 in the world for generating plastic debris; pretty bad for this small of a country, still a long ways to go!

Yeah.....rrrright.....

Debris a nice sounding word for toxic pollution.all bs any figures this country comes out with..thailand is still one of the top marine polluters of the world and for such a small country they certainly do well.

this country should be ashamed of itself.

Edited October 3, 20196 yr by happy chappie

4 hours ago, SoilSpoil said:

My neighbours are burning more plastic rubbish than ever.

I had some jobsworth officaldom come to our land yesterday moaning about our concrete road up the hill to get easy access to the pineapples, told us to remove it, wife told  him to  <deleted>  off see you in court etc............... I gave him a  drink whilst he was there, after he'd  finished it , first thing he did?? yep throw it  on the floor  on our land.nice  chap.

And phuket town gets the supoer clean award .maya bay has recovered and tourism is up 5 percent, 

 

More unverifiable garbage