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

From Figure 4.5, this figure shows the major polymer used in Thai plastic industry in 2010.
PE (56%) is the famous polymer using in Thai plastic industry includes HDPE, LDPE, and
LLDPE. Most of them are used in the packaging industry, food industry and construction
works (HDPE pipes, and LDPE films). The following polymer used is PP (19%) and PVC
(14%) respectively. PS is sometimes used to produce the electrical and electronic parts,
especially air conditions. Finally ABS/SAN is used in the automotive and electrical and
electronic industries.
The recycled materials are the plastic pellets from the recycling factory through melting
process and forming a pellet shape. The amount of recycled material used is depending on
the plastic waste collection and recycling system because plastic factories mix the virgin
materials and recycled materials to produce plastic products, especially the plastic bag
industry. However, the recycled materials can be used directly to generate recycled plastic
products i.e., recycled PS resins are used to produce the plastic stationery or clothes
hangers/pegs wearing apparels. Recycled HDPE resins are used to produce plastic bags or
waste bags/bins. The amounts of imported and exported products are usually changed
followed by the international markets and competitions with other countries.
Table 4.2 Amount of Product Generation, Imported-Exported Products and Virgin
Material Used in Country in 2002, 2005, 2010 and 2011
List Amount of plastic products (1,000 tonnes/year)
2002 1 2005 2 2010 3 2011 4
Product generation 4,977 4,528 4,400 4,200
Imported product 467 260 421 453
Exported product 1,924 850 947 967
Virgin material used 3,099 3,000 3,431 3,561
Note: 1. All available data in 2002 are from the plastic and foam waste study (PCD, 2002).
2. The amounts of plastic product generation, imported and exported products, virgin
material used are presented in the PTIT presentation, 2005.
3. The amount of product generation was estimated from material flow analysis of
plastic in 2010. The amounts of imported and exported products and virgin material
used are present in the annual report of OIE, 2011-2012.
4. The amount of product generation is presented in the PTIT presentation, 2012.
The amounts of imported and exported products and virgin material used are
present in the annual report of OIE, 2011-2012.
From Table 4.2, the amount of plastic production decreased continuously because there are
many plastic producers in Asian which export plastic goods to Europe and America regions
such as Indonesia, Vietnam, Japan, China, and Philippines. The amount of virgin
masterbatch had increased since 2005 because this amount of masterbatch is not only used
to produce plastic products, but it is also used to produce textile and leather, agriculture,
and plastic containing products.
According to PTIT (2010), the growing demand from electrical and the electronic industry
and an automobile industry causes the increase of plastic generation, especially large
amounts of electronic and electrical devices which are exported to other countries. The new
designed products are used as components of cars instead of the oldest plastic products
including the high demand of owner vehicles, so it causes the higher production of plastic
products in order to support the automobile industry.
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