The Department of Industrial Works has launched a 4-point strategy to improve the country’s industrial waste management by designating all factories to install a waste treatment and disposal system within five years, according to Pasu Loharjun, Director-General of the Industrial Works Department.
Mr.Pasu said that there are nearly 70,000 factories in Thailand; 5,000 of them produce three million tonnes of hazardous wastes in total. However, only one million tonnes of the waste were discharged under proper disposal techniques.
The new strategy designates all factories to attach documents showing their waste disposal management upon their renewal of license every five years. This will automatically bring all those factories without a waste disposal system to join the path within five years.
The move will also bring income to operators of industrial waste treatment and disposal in the range of THB5,000m-THB10,000 million for untoxic waste and from THB10,000m - THB20,000 m per year for hazardous waste.
This year, many activities and training courses are planned to raise the efficiency of those working in waste disposal management. They will be started in Rayong, one of the provinces with the largest industrial activities.
Besides, Thailand and Japan signed an MOU in January this year, under which Japan will give an incinerator for the disposal of municipal solid and industrial waste.
The incinerator will handle 350 tonnes of municipal solid waste and 150 tonnes of industrial waste per day. The Ministry of Industry is holding consultations with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and various sub-district administrative organizations to gauge their interest to be the site of the incinerator.
