While the Industry Ministry is determined to see all industrial waste legally disposed of by the end of August, the private sector is sceptical about whether new rules will address the country’s waste issue at its core.
The new legislation imposes fines on those that do not dispose of waste properly, while factories seeking operating permit renewals must show evidence of proper waste handling.
However, some businesses may still look for ways to get around the regulations, says Suwat Luengviriya, the president and CEO of Better World Green Plc (BWG).
Thailand creates about 22-24 million tonnes of industrial waste a year, 2.5 million tonnes of which are hazardous and toxic such as batteries and neon. Of the other 18-20 million tonnes of non-hazardous waste such as plastics and wood scrap, only 10% is disposed of properly.
Mr Suwat said factories need to pay more attention to waste disposal, as buyers are increasingly demanding that waste be treated properly in line with widely accepted environmental standards, such as ISO 14001. If not, a company may decline purchases from a company with a poor record in this area.
But some companies still ignore or evade the rules, says Mr Suwat. For example, they may classify hazardous waste as non-hazardous waste in order to recycle it instead of applying proper treatment.
As well, waste brokers need to be regulated more strictly, by making them equally responsible for taking care of the environment with waste disposal companies.
Many brokers in the past have been found to have illegally and improperly disposed of waste to cut transport and disposal costs.
”This group is concerned only about how to minimise their costs,” he said. ”They don’t see it as a liability because all they’re thinking of is getting the cheapest outcome. They don’t even care where the waste goes to.”
BWG’s disposal fees for hazardous waste currently range from 3,400 to 3,500 baht per tonne, compared with 1,200 baht for non-hazardous waste.
According to statistics from the Department of Industrial Works (DIW), 146 operators have permits to manage industrial waste.
Thailand has only three companies that have licences to dispose of hazardous waste and all are listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand: General Environmental Conservation Plc, Professional Waste Technology Plc and BWG.
Despite lingering concerns in the private sector, the waste disposal business is growing in line with environmental concerns, though there is still waste that is not disposed of correctly, said Arthit Wuthikaro, the DIW director-general.
”The DIW has been consistently checking factories,” he said. ”Nothing can be 100% but we will be trying our best to make the most of it.”
So far, the department has completed checks in Greater Bangkok on 9,728 factories that have waste that would be subject to the new rules.
The Industry Ministry is also planning to amend the Factory Act concerning waste, since the existing law does not distinguish between hazardous and non-hazardous waste.
”We will set up measures to ease standards for non-hazardous waste and on the other hand be more strict with factories that are more risk-prone or are in areas that may have waste that is harmful to the environment,” said Mr Arthit.
The Industry Ministry will help small factories and those that emit non-hazardous waste with advice on lowering costs, such as providing advice about waste law, places to recycle, and more efficient production methods.
”As for risk-prone factories, we will not only check documents but conduct random checks. After that we will award certificates to factories that have efficient waste disposal methods,” Mr Arthit said.
