Thailand has become the latest country to tackle the global plastic waste crisis by banning imports of plastic waste.

For many years, the country has served as a major destination for plastic waste from developed countries such as the United States and Japan.

Here’s what to know about the ban, global plastic waste imports and their impact on the environment and health.

Why did Thailand ban imports of plastic waste?

As of January 1, 2025, Thailand has stopped importing plastic waste in an effort to reduce toxic pollution in the country.

Since 2018, Thailand has become a leading importer of plastic waste from developed countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom and Japan.

Between 2018 and 2021, the country imported more than 1.1 million tons of plastic waste, according to Thai officials. In 2023, Japan alone exported about 50 million kilograms (50,000 tons) of plastic waste to Thailand.

These imports were often poorly handled, with many factories burning the waste rather than recycling it.

The new ban, introduced by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, was approved by the country’s Cabinet in December 2024. However, environmental activists have been pushing for it for years. In 2019, activists from Thailand and Greenpeace held demonstrations demanding a ban on electronic and plastic waste during the 34th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit held in Bangkok.

Why do Western countries export plastic waste to countries like Thailand?

It’s a cold economy.

Western countries often export waste – including plastic – to countries like Thailand because it is cheaper and easier than managing garbage locally.

Countries of the Global South, including Thailand, typically have lower labor costs and a weaker exchange rate, and can therefore process and recycle waste at lower costs than is possible in the West. For any rich country, the price of recycling falls – while it can still claim to be meeting its recycling targets, and show itself as committed to a clean, green environment.

Economics also explains why this practice is also common in rich but unequal countries – such as the United States, where such dynamics also persist at home.

For years, northeastern states in the United States have been sending their waste to southern states, where weaker environmental regulations and economic disparities in terms of lower wages and land values ​​make landfills cheaper to operate.

In 2018, a “poop train” filled with sewage from New York and New Jersey was parked in the southeastern US state of Alabama for several months, sparking outrage.

Why do the countries of the Global South agree to this?

Countries in the Global South often accept plastic waste due to economic incentives. Reusing imported plastic waste can also create jobs and support local economies.

The global plastic waste management market was estimated to be worth $37 billion in 2023, and is expected to grow to nearly $44 billion by 2027.

Estimates from the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC) reveal that in 2022, Türkiye, for example, earned $252 million from importing scrap plastic. Malaysia imported $238 million worth of scrap plastic that year, Vietnam $182 million, and Indonesia $104 million.

What is the impact of this plastic waste on health and the environment?

Plastic waste, especially mixed household plastics, is melted into plastic pellets, incinerated or disposed of. These mixed plastics are difficult to recycle because they are often mixed with non-recyclable items such as bottles and packaging. Molten pellets are used to make products such as packaging or furniture.

Experts also warn that if the UN cannot resolve ongoing disagreements over a treaty to end plastic pollution, it could lead to a major human health crisis.

Key concerns include increased exposure to microplastics – small plastic particles produced by the breakdown of larger plastics – which are found everywhere, from air and water to food and human tissue.

Microplastics are also sometimes added to some products to improve them. For example, they are used in exfoliating scrubs or toothpaste as abrasive granules. Even when rinsed, they do not break down in water, but rather accumulate in the environment.

Studies have found that microplastics can take Anywhere from 100 to 1000 years for it to decompose so much that it disappears.

People are also at risk of inhaling toxic pollutants from burning plastic waste. This burning releases harmful chemicals and particles, increasing the risks of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, especially in areas with poor waste management, according to an article published in the British Medical Journal in January.

What other countries receive plastic waste from Western countries?

Many other Southeast Asian countries, such as Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia, have also historically been paid to receive plastic waste.

China was previously the largest market for household waste and has taken over Nearly half of plastic waste in the world from 1992 until the ban was implemented in 2018. This became a watershed moment for trade.

In the same year, in 2018, plastic waste sent to Thailand rose to more than 500,000 tons – a tenfold increase from the average amount before 2015, according to statistics from the Thai Customs Administration.

Meanwhile, following China’s ban, the UK began exporting more plastic waste to Turkey than any other country, with the amount increasing from 12,000 tonnes in 2016 to 209,642 tonnes in 2020. This represents around 30 percent of its exports. Plastic waste in the UK.

In May 2021, Türkiye announced a ban on the import of waste ethylene polymer plastic, commonly used in food packaging and containers such as bottles. It was canceled within days of its implementation after pressure from the local plastics industry, which relies on waste imports as raw materials.

Why do activists call this “waste colonization”?

Many of the world’s major exporters of plastic waste are from developed economies with significant recycling capabilities. the Top 10 The exporters are all from high-income developed countries – seven of them European. Together, these exports represent 71% of global plastic waste exports, totaling more than 4.4 million tons annually.

Germany, for example, exports approximately 688,067 tons annually, making it the world’s largest exporter. The United Kingdom exports about 600,000 tons annually, which represents 61 percent of its plastic waste.

By contrast, the United States recycles the bulk of its plastic waste. However, it still exports significant amounts: In 2018, the United States shipped abroad 1.07 million tons of plastic waste, accounting for about a third of its recycling, with 78% of these exports sent to countries with inadequate waste management systems.

Has any Western country stopped exporting plastic waste to the Global South?

Yes, some Western countries have taken steps to stop or reduce their exports.

In 2023, the European Union announced that it would ban the export of plastic waste to poor countries outside the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) from mid-2026 to protect the environment and health in those countries. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development is a trade and development group that includes 38 countries, most of them rich.

Exports to OECD countries will be subject to stricter rules, and non-OECD countries can apply for exemptions from the new EU rule if they prove they can manage waste sustainably.

What is the solution?

Many activists see such country- or bloc-specific restrictions as patchwork reforms.

They have called for an effective global treaty on plastic waste. This would establish legally binding rules to reduce plastic production and improve waste management and recycling frameworks at the global level.

In December 2024, the countries failed to agree on a treaty during UN-led talks in Busan, South Korea. More than 100 countries have backed a draft to cut 400 million tons of plastic produced annually and phase out some single-use chemicals and plastics. But oil-producing countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iran and Russia opposed the cuts, leading to the failure of the negotiations. Plastics are made from petrochemicals derived from oil and gas, making their production closely linked to the fossil fuel industry.

It is unclear when the next global talks on a plastics treaty will be held.