Household garbage: PCD helps slash yearly amount by 2 million tonnes

[webfact]

Total household garbage cut
JANJIRA PONGRAI
THE NATION

PCD helps slash yearly amount by 2 million tonnes

BANGKOK: -- THE total amount of household garbage in Thailand shrank from 28.2 million tonnes in 2013 to 26.2 million tonnes last year, Pollution Control Department (PCD) chief Wichien Jungrungreung said yesterday.

Samut Prakan province had the most cumulative garbage at 2.01 million tonnes last year, followed by Nakhon Si Thammarat with 1.04 million tonnes, Kanchanaburi (943,598 tonnes), Ayutthaya (780,013 tonnes) and Khon Kaen (767,976 tonnes).

Songkhla, which generated the most garbage in 2013 with 2.4 million tonnes, had improved and ranked 30th on the list for last year.

Thailand wants to eliminate as much garbage as possible by 2016, and Wichien said a new draft law would be proposed to the National Legislative Assembly in May to be propel the policy forward.

He also raised a concern over the disposal of solar cells and computer tablets. Thailand last year imported 3.2 million solar cells for the government's renewable energy scheme while 1.4 million computer tablets that the Education Ministry had provided to pupils could also pose a disposal challenge this year.

In 2013, a report on the 28 million tonnes of garbage led to it becoming a national issue. A subsequent PCD road map for waste management, which was approved by Cabinet last August, led to concerted efforts to lower garbage last year.

Wichien said the 26.3 million tonnes of newly produced household garbage - or 1.11kg per person per day last year - was down by 0.6 million tonnes from the previous year.

He said 14.7 million tonnes of waste were disposed at 2,450 dump sites, with about half of that eradicated properly, he added.

Under the road map, 246 clusters (small, medium and large sizes according to local administrative bodies' trash amounts and collection radiuses) were responsible for garbage disposal and large clusters had private sector investment in garbage-fuelled power plants, he said.

Out of 32 potential areas for such power plants, two (in Phuket and Songkhla) were now up and running, while other three (in Khon Kaen, Phatthalung and Bangkok) were under construction, he said.

Smaller-sized clusters focused on trash separation to promote recycling and reducing the actual amount of trash to dispose of.

As last year, there were also 98 model locations for the whole process of garbage separation and proper disposal, he added.

For 2.69 million tonnes of hazardous waste last year, Thailand had 83 centres to take such waste - about 77 per cent of which came from the industrial sector and 21 per cent from communities, he said.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Total-household-garbage-cut-30252568.html


-- The Nation 2015-01-24

[Gandtee]

How does one dispose or used batteries etc.?

[JAS21]

Computer tablets ... schools must be disposing of a lot of useless ones ...

[maidee]

they probably mean : more garbage dump fires

makes the problem go up in smoke

what about a recycling program ? teach thai to do composting, in stead of burning

free fertilizer in return

[Estrada]

they probably mean : more garbage dump fires

makes the problem go up in smoke

what about a recycling program ? teach thai to do composting, in stead of burning

free fertilizer in return

They already have waste to compost plants and produce "LessCost" Compost for sale.

[Estrada]

How does one dispose or used batteries etc.?

There should be a separate hazardous waste bin near your place of residence. In any case keep the batteries and other electrical hazardous waste in a plastic bag. When you have a reasonable quantity hand them over to the bin men. Wrap fluorescent tubes, bulbs etc in original proective wrapping or similar as broken glass is dangerous because of coating.

[Gandtee]

How does one dispose or used batteries etc.?

There should be a separate hazardous waste bin near your place of residence. In any case keep the batteries and other electrical hazardous waste in a plastic bag. When you have a reasonable quantity hand them over to the bin men. Wrap fluorescent tubes, bulbs etc in original proective wrapping or similar as broken glass is dangerous because of coating.

Thanks for the advice Estrada, but it is wishful thinking that there will be a separate bin for hazardous waste here in darkest Sattahip. Having said that, I will collect our old batteries etc.and give them to the bin men. It will be interesting to see if they throw it in with the rest of the waste.

[bangon04]

they probably mean : more garbage dump fires

makes the problem go up in smoke

what about a recycling program ? teach thai to do composting, in stead of burning

free fertilizer in return

There is already a longstanding composting programme in Thailand. It consists of throwing everything in the nearest canal with a large amount of human excrement, then leaving it for years.

[JDGRUEN]

The statistics reported are difficult to believe ... A DECLINE is overall waste disposed? Even with an increasing population? None of this makes sense... I did not see any evidence of programs in place that could / would reduce the volume of solid waste disposed ... It is almost statistically impossible to reduce the volume of waste disposed in an increasing population without a huge well run recycling program.. Perhaps in a country with a series of programs designed to decrease waste - such as efforts to reduce 'packaging', or a wide spread program of recycling of plastics, glass, paper, cardboard. Thailand may have such programs but they all seem to be ad hoc without any real system ... Bottom line - I just do not believe the statistics in the report.

[Gandtee]

The statistics reported are difficult to believe ... A DECLINE is overall waste disposed? Even with an increasing population? None of this makes sense... I did not see any evidence of programs in place that could / would reduce the volume of solid waste disposed ... It is almost statistically impossible to reduce the volume of waste disposed in an increasing population without a huge well run recycling program.. Perhaps in a country with a series of programs designed to decrease waste - such as efforts to reduce 'packaging', or a wide spread program of recycling of plastics, glass, paper, cardboard. Thailand may have such programs but they all seem to be ad hoc without any real system ... Bottom line - I just do not believe the statistics in the report.

My wife being very thrifty, saves bottles, paper etc and sells it at the local junk yard. I do my bit by supplying her with as many bottles as I can manage. Junk collectors roam around the village, weigh peoples recyclable waste and buy it. Perhaps recycling in Thailand is not up to western standards but it certainly goes on. When I was kid in London many years ago, the 'Rags, bottles or bones' man used to do the same. Low tech. recycling? It's not a new invention.

[JDGRUEN]

The statistics reported are difficult to believe ... A DECLINE is overall waste disposed? Even with an increasing population? None of this makes sense... I did not see any evidence of programs in place that could / would reduce the volume of solid waste disposed ... It is almost statistically impossible to reduce the volume of waste disposed in an increasing population without a huge well run recycling program.. Perhaps in a country with a series of programs designed to decrease waste - such as efforts to reduce 'packaging', or a wide spread program of recycling of plastics, glass, paper, cardboard. Thailand may have such programs but they all seem to be ad hoc without any real system ... Bottom line - I just do not believe the statistics in the report.

My wife being very thrifty, saves bottles, paper etc and sells it at the local junk yard. I do my bit by supplying her with as many bottles as I can manage. Junk collectors roam around the village, weigh peoples recyclable waste and buy it. Perhaps recycling in Thailand is not up to western standards but it certainly goes on. When I was kid in London many years ago, the 'Rags, bottles or bones' man used to do the same. Low tech. recycling? It's not a new invention.

I do the same things as you describe. And so do many millions of other people in Thailand. BUT it is in no way possible to change the statistics as described in the article by use of AD HOC methods, as I previously referred to...

Meaning - that there is No Evidence of a large scale governmental sponsored system in place in Thailand to increase collection of recyclables and also (more importantly) increase the actual reuse - reprocessing of the collected items - glass, plastic, paper, wood, cardboard, etc. into a usable product.

In my opinion the statistics found in the article are wishful thinking...

[Gandtee]

The statistics reported are difficult to believe ... A DECLINE is overall waste disposed? Even with an increasing population? None of this makes sense... I did not see any evidence of programs in place that could / would reduce the volume of solid waste disposed ... It is almost statistically impossible to reduce the volume of waste disposed in an increasing population without a huge well run recycling program.. Perhaps in a country with a series of programs designed to decrease waste - such as efforts to reduce 'packaging', or a wide spread program of recycling of plastics, glass, paper, cardboard. Thailand may have such programs but they all seem to be ad hoc without any real system ... Bottom line - I just do not believe the statistics in the report.

My wife being very thrifty, saves bottles, paper etc and sells it at the local junk yard. I do my bit by supplying her with as many bottles as I can manage. Junk collectors roam around the village, weigh peoples recyclable waste and buy it. Perhaps recycling in Thailand is not up to western standards but it certainly goes on. When I was kid in London many years ago, the 'Rags, bottles or bones' man used to do the same. Low tech. recycling? It's not a new invention.

I do the same things as you describe. And so do many millions of other people in Thailand. BUT it is in no way possible to change the statistics as described in the article by use of AD HOC methods, as I previously referred to...

Meaning - that there is No Evidence of a large scale governmental sponsored system in place in Thailand to increase collection of recyclables and also (more importantly) increase the actual reuse - reprocessing of the collected items - glass, plastic, paper, wood, cardboard, etc. into a usable product.

In my opinion the statistics found in the article are wishful thinking...

There are lies, damned lies and statistics.

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