Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha today assured the public that the government is serious in dealing with the problem of smuggling of electronic trash into the country for recycling and has ordered agencies concerned to address the issue.
He disclosed that there are 26 recycling plants which were granted licenses to import plastic trash into the country for recycling and 17 of them have been inspected by officials concerned. The rest is expected to be checked by this Friday.
He said that the Industrial Works Department has suspended the operation of five trash recycling plants, but there are several other small unlicensed recycling factories involved in the smuggling of electronic trash into the country.
As Thailand is developing into a technology-based economy, the prime minister said the country would have to cope with increased amount of electronic trash and, hence, trash recycling facility would be unavoidable.
Meanwhile, Diseases Control Department director-general Dr Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoen said the Ministry of Public Health would focus on contaminated trash and environment-induced diseases.
He disclosed that in the past two years health officials had made periodical visits in Khongchai district of Kalasin which boasts a huge deposit of electronic trash where hundreds of villagers are working on separating electronic devices from plastic trash for sale to a trader.
He said that almost all of the workers there are not equipped with protective gears besides gloves against hazardous substances from the trash.
Source: https://news.thaipbs.or.th/content/272629
