Customs Department vows to control industrial waste import

BANGKOK, June 14 (TNA) – The Customs Department is examining all imported containers to control the influxes of electronic and plastic waste. Chaiyuth Khamkhoon, spokesman of the department, said the measure would replace conventional random checks as much more electronic and plastic waste was directed to Thailand because China banned the imports this year. According to him, Thailand imported 212,000 tons of plastic waste and 52,221 tons of electronic waste from January to May this year. The importation happens under the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal. Many unauthorized imports of such waste were seized at the Laem Chabang port in Chon Buri province. Customs officials stopped 90 containers there and sent 40 containers to their places of origin because local recycling plants were suspended pending prosecution. “The influx of electronic and plastic waste will have negative impacts if local plants are unable to handle them well. Employees at some plants suffer contamination from their work sorting out electronic waste. Policymakers will decide on the Basel Convention on the possibility of banning the import of the waste,” Mr Chaiyuth said. (TNA)