Recycling ‘will reduce emissions’

Improving Thailand’s waste disposal system can help reduce the kingdom’s greenhouse gas emissions by almost 28 million tonnes by 2030, according to a report by the non-profit organisation Circulate Initiative.

In a report titled “Mapping Local Plastic Recycling Supply Chains: Insights from Selected Cities in India, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam”, the group said a nation’s plastic waste management is directly correlated with the country’s risk of climate-related disasters.

As Thailand still lacks the infrastructure for proper waste disposal, the vast majority of the waste generated in the country ends up in landfills or incineration plants, which are responsible for up to 85% of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions.

According to the report, ramping up recycling efforts in Thailand could help the country remove 27.9 million tonnes of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere by 2030 — equivalent to the emissions produced by 6.2 million cars in one year.

The group also said improving waste management systems in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam will result in the reduction of 229 million tonnes of greenhouse gases by 2030.

Using the Plastic Lifecycle Assessment Calculator for the Environment and Society (Places), Circulate Initiative has worked with companies, investors, recyclers and city planners to assess the environmental effects from waste disposal systems.

Umesh Madhavan, Circulate Initiative’s research director, said there needs to be a lot more discussion about ways to address plastic waste pollution and recycling.