Page 45 - Plastics News February 2020

internAtionAL news

Federal Bill Seeks to Make Thailand’s plastics industry

Companies Responsible for Plastic wants the government’s help to
Waste keep afloat

he legislation, to be introduced Tuesday, has little he Thai Labour Minister is being asked to step in and
Tchance of becoming a law, but the effort shows the Thelp the dozens of Thai plastic bag manufacturers
increased influence of environmental groups in taking on which are at risk of closing their businesses. Somchai
recycling issues. The bill, being introduced by Senator Tom Techapanichgul, the President of the Thai Plastic
Udall of New Mexico and Representative Alan Lowenthal Industries), told the Labour Minister MR Chatu Mongol
of California, is one of the most aggressive, sweeping Sonakul that almost 500 plastics manufacturers only
“expect to stay in this industry until April” if the
government refuses to step in. “Our workers are now
living with a dim and uncertain work prospects. We may
need to shut down our businesses, which employ about
7,000 workers.”Mr Somchai claims the government
reneged on an agreement to phase out single-use plastic
bags by 2020But he says the industry broadly supports
the government’s attempt to reduce plastic waste.

“We need enough time to readjust our production
lines.” But the managing director of the plastic bag
producer Pack and Save says the government should
have asked consumers to decide whether they want
attempts to hold the plastics industry, beverage makers to use plastic bag. “If they want one, they will have
and other companies financially responsible for dealing to fork out extra money.”He also said the government
with the waste they create.The so-called Break Free From should promote the use of thicker and more durable
Plastic Pollution Act is a long shot, with no Republican bags, and plastic bags that can be used more than
co-sponsors and several provisions that seem sure to be once. The production an of plastic bags, thicker than
nonstarters in an election year. But the legislative effort 40 microns, are currently allowed by the Pollution
at the federal level, even if a politically unrealistic one, Control Department and not covered in the ban. The
shows the growing sway of environmental groups that association estimates that the ban on single-use plastic
have pushed to stem the flow of plastic waste into the
ocean. The legislation includes measures that the sponsors
argue will increase the nation’s meager recycling rates,
such as a national “bottle bill” that would incentivize
people to return their empty soda and water bottles by
providing a 10 cent refund for each bottle. It would also
require companies that produce and sell food service and
plastic packaging to pay for the waste collection, a burden
that now falls primarily on taxpayers. The bill calls for
a pause on creating new plastic producing plants, which
have been a boon for the oil and gas industry and a job
generator in states like Texas, Louisiana and Pennsylvania. bags has already cost the industry 24.3 billion baht. The
“The plastics pollution crisis has reached a tipping point ban also put 6,030 workers in the industry at risk of
and the American people are fed up,” Mr. Udall said losing their jobs. Thailand began the year with a ban
in a conference. By the end of 2019, globally, plastic on single-use plastic bags at major stores, and retailers
production and burning will emit the carbon equivalent had to move towards a complete ban in 2021 to reduce
of 189 coal-fired power plant. Plastic waste.

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39 Februar y 2020 Plastics News