January 4, 2025 – Thailand and Indonesia have firmly announced their commitment to banning the import of plastic waste entirely by 2025, in a bid to alleviate the pressure on plastic waste management and safeguard the environment.
The Thai government unveiled this plan back in 2023, aiming to reduce the pollution of marine ecosystems and soil caused by plastic waste. As per the plan, the import volume of waste for 14 plastic processing factories in Thailand’s special economic zones was limited to 372,900 tons in 2023, with a 50% reduction in imports in 2024. By January 1, 2025, Thailand will impose a complete ban on plastic waste imports.
Indonesia’s Environment Minister Hanif reaffirmed the country’s decision to halt plastic waste imports in 2025 on November 1, 2024. According to sources from the Color Masterbatch Industry Network, Hanif emphasized the establishment of a monitoring system and the strengthening of enforcement efforts to ensure the effective implementation of the ban. He also called on importers to address the issue of plastic waste at its source. Data from Indonesia’s National Waste Management Information System reveals that 38.25% of waste was improperly managed in 2023, with plastic waste accounting for 19.21%.
Meanwhile, Vietnam’s situation regarding plastic waste imports presents a different picture. Despite having substantial domestic recycling capacity for plastic waste, Vietnam continues to import large quantities. Statistics show that Vietnam imported over 2 million tons of plastic waste in 2022, ranking second globally. However, studies indicate that up to 25% of imported plastic waste is non-recyclable, and 30% is discarded as residual waste. Furthermore, there are loopholes in Vietnam’s regulation of plastic waste imports, making it easy to circumvent the law.
Malaysia’s situation is also noteworthy. Despite the government’s repeated expressions of a desire to reduce waste imports, Malaysia remains one of the main export destinations for plastic waste from the EU and Japan. Compared to 2022, plastic waste shipments from the EU to Malaysia increased by 35% in 2023. Meenakshi Raman, Honorary Secretary of Friends of the Earth Malaysia, stated that due to the vast scale of imported waste, the government cannot monitor or inspect all shipments. Although Malaysia has established a Plastic Sustainability Roadmap and a Zero-Single-Use Plastic Roadmap, the issue of plastic waste imports remains unresolved.