Evaluation of Plastic Waste Management in Thailand Using Material ...

5.1 Conclusions
Chapter 5
Conclusions and Recommendations
A detailed situational analysis of plastic waste management in Thailand reveals there are
drivers and barriers, both of which needs to be considered in designing a sound
management system. Plastic waste generation is increasing steadily in line with population
growth, urbanization and increasing consumerism. It is to be noted that the study focused
on the plastic waste management situation for the particular year of 2010, nevertheless,
similar situation prevails in recent years also, and hence the conclusions and
recommendations drawn are timely. The conclusions are according to the Material Flow
Analysis performed within the system boundary of the year 2010 at country level data.
Similarly, stakeholders in plastic waste management were approached to understand the
situation of plastic waste management in the country.
1. Amount of plastic production in 2010 was 2.2 million tonnes in Thailand out of
which 40% of plastic products were the packaging plastics. Approximately 16% of
construction plastics were produced in the plastic industry, and 12% of electronic
and electrical plastics were also generated in 2010. The amounts of imported and
exported products in 2010 were 0.42 and 0.95 million tonnes respectively.
2. In 2010, Out of 15.16 million tonnes (or 41,532 tons/day) of Municipal Solid Waste
generated in Thailand, 17% e.g., 2.58 million tonnes was Municipal plastic waste
(MPW). Similarly, the industrial plastic waste (IPW) accounted for 1.83 million
tonnes out of 12.76 million tonnes of total industrial waste generated in that year.
General trend of municipal plastic waste management remained as disposal at
landfills, while large amount of industrial plastic wastes were utilized as industrial
incineration.
3. The material flow of plastics was analyzed by using STAN software. The material
flow of plastics consists of nine processes such as the plastic manufacturing, plastic
consumption, waste collection and transportation, municipal incineration, industrial
incineration, landfilling, recycling, plastic to oil and open environment. The system
boundary of this material flow covered the flows of plastic materials in Thailand for
the year 2010. Total input of plastic materials of this system boundary was 4.86
million tonnes/year. The amount of total stock of this system boundary was 2.34
million tonnes/year. Finally, total output of this system boundary is 2.52 million
tonnes/year.
4. From the material flow of plastics in Thailand, total amount of plastic pellet
consumption for plastic manufacturing was 4.42 tonnes in 2010. The amount of
plastic product generation from plastic manufacturing was 3 million tonnes out of
which 0.95 million tonnes of plastic products was exported to outside the system
boundary. The actual stock of plastic resins in the manufacturing process was 0.14
million tonnes.
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