No more single-use plastic products in Thailand by 2022

BANGKOK, March 5 (TNA) - Single-use plastic products will be totally banned in Thailand by 2022 as part of a national roadmap on the management of garbage. Thai Natural Resources and Environment Minister General Surasak Karnjanarat told journalists of the policy on Tuesday, after presenting the national roadmap on the management of garbage at the Special ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Marine Debris, being held in Bangkok during March 4-6. General Surasak said that guided by the roadmap, Thailand has already reduced the cap seal garbage up to 2.6 billion units annually, or about 520 million tons, and the styrofoam garbage by 50 per cent so far. The Thai minister acknowledged that Japan has also agreed to work together with ASEAN in opening a center on useful knowledge about garbage, the first of its kind, in Indonesia, before opening such the center to other ASEAN member countries, as part of regional attempts to reduce garbage more efficiently. According to the minister, the three-day Special ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Marine Debris is, however, aimed to mainly enhance cooperation among ASEAN member countries on the management of regional marine debris in a clearer and more concrete aspects and on the conservation of regional marine environment on the sustainable basis. (TNA)