Thailand is the world’s 10th largest marine plastic polluter as ranked by Mass of Mismanaged Plastic Waste, with tons of plastic waste leaking into the oceans annually.
About 80% of this litter comes from land and the rest from sea-based activities such as fishery and tourism.
Nevertheless, the country is more aware than ever of the threat that plastic waste poses to the ecosystem and the environment.
For instance, The Khao Yai National Park, north of Bangkok, has made a brilliant move of packaging up litter left by campers and posting it back to them as a sort of souvenir.
It was effective after government officials got tired of all the litter left by visitors which could injure the Park's wildlife if ingested.
This shows that efforts are put into littering awareness by Thailand officials.
But is this Enough?
In 2018, Thailand had over 27 million tons of municipal Plastic Waste. While 34% was recycled or 39% was properly disposed of, only about 25% of the plastic waste was properly treated.
According to research, in 2018, the plastic waste from people was 2.1 million tons. While 1.5 million tons ended up in landfills or incineration only 0.4 million tons were recycled while 0.01-0.03 million tons were likely to leak from the system into the ocean.
This goes beyond creating more disposable and recycle bins. It goes beyond creating more ineffective Waste Management Agencies that are negligent in their duties.
Thailand needs more institutes, strict laws, and stricter implementation of those laws.
Addressing this issue requires a multi-faceted approach involving improvements in waste management infrastructure, promoting sustainable consumption practices, and enhancing public awareness and education.
We need more people in the spotlight lending a hand to make the environment a more sustainable life force.
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