Taking plastics full circle: Creating a sustainable future in Thailand
When the first synthetic polymer, celluloid, was invented in 1869, it was envisioned as a more nature-friendly substitute for ivory and tortoiseshell—both materials sourced from hunting of wild animals.
Indeed, plastics have become one of mankind’s most ubiquitous and flexible materials, opening up revolutionary possibilities in manufacturing.
However, over a century and a half, plastic pollution is now a prominent environmental challenge. We regularly dispose of large volumes of plastics that can remain in our environment for centuries, with plastic bottles alone taking up to 450 years to decompose in landfills.
Plastics that are not properly disposed of also sadly often end up in oceans, posing a threat to marine environments. Plastic waste makes up 80% of all marine pollution, with as much as 10 million tonnes ending up in the ocean yearly.
Plastics are undoubtedly a critical part of modern life. Yet with plastic production expected to double to ~700 million metric tonnes globally by 2040, managing its use and mitigating its impacts is vital in Thailand and around the world.
Thailand’s Plastics Story
As a major regional economy with a strong petrochemical industry, Thailand is both a significant producer and consumer of plastics.
Thailand has a relatively mature recycling ecosystem with a good foundation for managing waste. Despite this, the World Bank estimates that 428 thousand tonnes of plastic waste is mismanaged annually, revealing a notable gap in current capabilities.
Bridging this gap is a significant environmental need, as the majority of mistreated plastic waste flows into rivers and marine environments. This is a particular problem in rural areas, which account for over 70% of all exposed mismanaged plastic waste, according to The World Bank.
The Chao Phraya area—Thailand’s largest watershed catchment—is a critical area to address, as it captures waste from major urban areas, including the capital Bangkok. This significant catchment, combined with those of Phetchaburi, Mae Klong, Tha Chin, Chao Phraya and Bang Pakong, is impacted by over 9.3 thousand tonnes of plastic waste each year, with the World Bank estimating that the figure could rise to as much as 14.3 thousand tonnes in rainier years.
The Government of Thailand is taking important steps to address this and other waste challenges with efforts to further enhance the local recycling ecosystem. The Roadmap on Plastic Waste Management (2018-2030) targets 100% reutilisation of plastics/recycling of plastic waste by 2027, alongside a more immediate shift to alternative eco-friendly materials and a reduction or halt in usage of various plastic products. It also targets the removal of plastic shopping bags thinner than 36 microns, single-use plastic cups thinner than 100 microns, foam meal boxes, and plastic straws, as well as the reduction of marine plastic debris by 50% by 2027.
Taking a holistic approach, Thailand is pushing forward with efforts to draft an extended producer responsibility (EPR) scheme for packaging, advocating for producers to take responsibility for end-of-life collection and recycling of consumer packaging waste. The scope of this scheme will include plastics, in line with the Sustainable Packaging Management Act.
Although this EPR law has not yet been implemented, the draft, and the broader Roadmap in Plastic Waste Management, send strong signals to the industry. Several voluntary EPR programmes have been initiated as a result, the most notable being the PRO-Thailand Network formed in 2019 and officially inaugurated in 2023.
However, there are challenges in embedding enhanced plastic circularity which must be acknowledged. Recycled plastics are typically more expensive, costing at least 10% to 20% more than virgin plastics, which can hinder adoption. There is also poor awareness among manufacturers and consumers, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), on circularity and alternatives to virgin plastics.
Complex challenge, comprehensive solution
As the plastics challenge is multifaceted, so too are the solutions required. They will necessitate holistic, cross-stakeholder collaboration.
Driving a circular economy in plastics goes beyond recycling. Initiatives to advance plastics circularity can be implemented across different stages of the value chain—Design, Produce, Distribute, Use, Collect and Sort, and Recycle or New Input.
There are many global examples of efforts to address this value chain which Thailand can learn from.
At a national level, ensuring rigorous implementation of any upcoming EPR scheme for plastics is key to raising domestic recycling rates and providing feedstock for recycling without waste imports.
Minimum recycled content requirements could also be implemented for selected products. In 2023, the EU introduced legislation that all PET bottles must incorporate a minimum of 2% recycled content by 2025. Such requirements not only generate demand for recycled inputs to catalyse a circular economy but will also ensure manufacturers remain competitive in export markets which have similar restrictions.
Industry stakeholders could invest in and explore new technologies such as advanced chemical recycling, as well as bioplastics made with sustainable biomass or biodegradable characteristics. The UK, for example, committed GBP3.2 million to innovations in plastic packaging such as plant-based biodegradable polymers in a major 2023 funding announcement.
Individuals also have a role to play. We can actively sort plastic waste for recycling to improve recycling efficiency. We can consider alternatives to single-use plastics such as reusable cups and bags. We can also choose to support businesses that are actively addressing plastic sustainability issues, either through eco-design processes, sustainable packaging use or the use of recycled inputs.
Everyone can contribute to the effort to ensure that plastics can continue to serve the needs of society without damaging our planet. This would be a more sustainable solution—returning to the original intention that plastics would reduce harm to nature, not amplify it.
The theme for Earth Day this year was ‘plastics versus the planet’. But we believe we have an opportunity here to challenge ourselves to transition towards the idea of ‘plastics for the planet’ instead. That means leveraging these important materials but with a genuine commitment to circularity and sustainability. All it takes is willpower, creativity, collaboration and commitment to advance circularity in plastics for Thailand.
● Arun Rajamani, Managing Director and Partner, Boston Consulting Group
● Alif Azan, Senior Knowledge Analyst, Boston Consulting Group
Special thanks:
The authors would like to thank Kar Min Lim (Principal, Boston Consulting Group) for contributing her insights to this article.
