Page 37 - Plastics News January 2020

internAtionAL news

Thailands Reeling plastics DC weighs new expanded

industry seeks state help polystyrene ban amid national
focus on plastics

hailand's plastics industry, plastic reprocessors and
Trelated industries are calling for the government to ashington, D.C. is moving to broaden its ban on
provide assistance following the campaign banning plastic Wexpanded polystyrene products. In the first of two
bags at major retailers in the country."The government votes, the city council yesterday backed the new bill
must have a short-term measure to assist the industry, (the "Polystyrene Food Service and Loose Fill Packaging
which is not ready to adjust its business to the no-plastic
Prohibition Amendment of 2019"), with a second vote
unscheduled but likely to occur in the next two months.
Under the new legislation, the city will bar retail sales
of any "expanded polystyrene food service product or
polystyrene loose fill packaging." That includes items
like packaging peanuts, often used in delivery practices,
along with disposable coolers or plates. The bill is
expected to pass and would take effect on July 1 as
written. Councilmember Mary Cheh said in a statement
to Waste Dive the new bill would target pollution that
"adversely affects local wildlife, and, once it enters
campaign," says Apiphop Phungchaikul, deputy secretary- the food chain, poses a serious risk to human health."
general of the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) and vice- D.C. is one of a number of cities and states increasingly
chairman of the Plastic Industry Club. More importantly, targeting expanded polystyrene, often referred to as
plastics makers cannot afford to re-invest in new machines Styrofoam, along with other plastic-based components
to produce new types of recyclable or reusable plastic bags, of the waste stream. D.C.'s expanding efforts to
especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). address the presence of expanded polystyrene in
The government's no-plastic campaign started January 1 the city's retail sector reflect a growing trend. Cities
and stops stores from handing out single-use plastic bags are increasingly taking a multi-pronged approach to
to customers.Mr Apiphop said the campaign has severely policy, Jennie Romer, a legislative associate with the
affected the domestic industry, including plastic-bead Surfrider Foundation's plastic pollution initiative, told
makers, plastic converters and retail businesses. "As a
first step, the government must prescribe the type of
plastic that it wants to ban and should not talk broadly or
unclearly about plastic types," he said.The FTI said many
countries are banning single-use plastics, but these bans
do not extend to plastic bags over 36 microns thick that
can be reused. Mr Apiphop said the Natural Resources and
Environment Ministry has broken its promise to local plastic
producers that the ban would start in 2022. "It has shocked
SMEs, which cannot afford to re-invest in new machines,
and retail businesses that already ordered plastic bags from
factories," he said. Somchai Techapanichgul, president
of the Thai Plastic Industries Association (TPIA), said the Waste Dive. "[It's often] a trifecta of plastics bills," she
campaign is hurting the plastic business in the country, said, noting that officials usually target straws, bags
especially SMEs.s"It is damaging SMEs and many companies and expanded polystyrene items as they weigh more
cannot adjust to the government's campaign. They cannot comprehensive and broad legislation. "The trend [now]
afford to buy new machines to produce environmentally- is to go beyond the foodware at restaurants and look
friendly products," he said. at things like retail or rigid polystyrene".

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39 Januar y 2020 Plastics News