Thailand has joined Vietnam and Malaysia in cracking down on the world’s trash. Thailand will stop accepting more than 400 types of electronic waste, including circuit boards, old TVs and radios, within six months. The decision was made at a meeting chaired by Surasak Kanchanarat, the environment minister. Imports of plastic waste will also be banned in two years.

Southeast Asian countries have been filling a void left by China, which left exporting countries scrambling for solutions for their trash. In some U.S. cities, the pile-up has even resulted in recyclables being directly sent to landfills. Thailand announced the ban after accepting massive amounts of e-waste from the U.S., the European Union, Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan.

Surasak admitted that the ban will impact the country’s recycling industry and some business operations. He noted, “We need to prioritize good environment and health protection for our citizens before industrial development. I have no doubt that the recycling of plastic waste and used electronic parts are profitable businesses at the moment. Some business operators may make a lot of profit from the recycling industry, but what will the country gain from their prosperity when our environment becomes polluted and the people suffer?”

The Thai initiative follows efforts made last month in Vietnam and Malaysia to limit imported trash. Vietnam will no longer issue new licenses for scrap imports, in order to crack down on illegal shipments and increased pollution near processing facilities. The same month, the Malaysian government revoked the import permits of 114 factories that process plastic waste.

Read the full story at https://www.ecowatch.com/thailand-e-waste-plastic-ban-2596461719.html.

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