Thailand's Industry Urges Government to Include Plastic Recycling in National Strategic Agenda

On September 28, Zhuangsu Vision reported that the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) is strongly urging the Thai government to elevate the issue of plastic recycling to a national strategic level, considering it the only effective solution to the country's increasingly severe plastic waste crisis. Currently, Thailand is facing a surge in plastic waste each year, particularly from manufacturing, which has caused a dual impact on the environment and the economy.

Industry leaders warn that without an efficient waste management system, plastic pollution will cause irreversible ecological damage. Tidi Shan Pompananang, chairman of the FTI Plastic Industry Club, pointed out that although manufacturers are adjusting their market strategies (such as shifting to the ASEAN market in response to U.S. tariff policies) to cope with external pressures, the failure of internal waste management remains the biggest bottleneck. He emphasized that plastic recycling is a core aspect of the entire industry's sustainable development.

Thailand's plastic recycling rate has increased from 18% in 2022 to 22%, with approximately 700,000 tons of plastic waste being reintroduced into production each year. However, the industry faces a critical economic barrier—recycling costs remain higher than producing new plastic from virgin materials. Pidisan calls for the government to support the development of more efficient recycling technologies and processes; otherwise, the high-cost issue will persist, making it impossible to truly reduce the total amount of plastic waste.

Thailand was once the world's sixth-largest contributor of marine plastic waste (2016-2017). Although it has pledged to recycle 50,000 tons of plastic annually and launched local projects such as in Nong Khai and the Eastern Economic Corridor, further government action is still needed. Veera Kwanloet, Director of the PPP Plastics Association Office, pointed out that the decision to ban the import of plastic waste in 2021 was a milestone, but the current focus should shift to promoting proper waste segregation by the public and establishing a nationwide recycling infrastructure.

The FTI representative concluded that the sustainable plastics industry requires the participation of the whole society. "The government, businesses, and the public must collaborate to promote the use of recycled plastics and reduce the disorderly consumption of new plastics. Only in this way can plastics be transformed from an environmental burden into a national resource, building a long-term circular economy." The role of the government in this process is crucial—by supporting technology to enhance waste management efficiency, ultimately achieving the regeneration of plastic value and a win-win situation for both the economy and ecology.