Thai National Deputy Police Chief Wirachai Songmetta, centre with white gloves, law-enforcement officers and journalists walk past a pile of mobile batteries during a recent raid in Bangkok. (Photo: AP)
Bangkok (VNA) – Thailand will ban imports of all kinds of electronicand plastic wastes to ensure protection of the environment, said a governmentofficial.
The country will ban the imports of 411 types of electronic waste, NaturalResources and Environment Minister Surasak Kanchanarat said, adding the importof plastic wastes will be totally banned in the next two years.
However exceptions will include imports of used electronic telecommunicationproducts and copying machines for repair and reuse.
Besides, steel, copper and aluminium scraps can still be imported forindustrial use on the condition that these metal scraps must be clean and notbe mixed with other substances, the minister said.
He said the ban of electronic waste will affect recycling businesses but it wasvital to implement the law now as he does not want to see Thailand becoming aworld's garbage bin.
The environment and public health must come before profit-making and industrialdevelopment, Minister Surasak stressed.
The resolution came after several related agencies converged to discuss issuesin resolving environmental problems created by electronic and plastic wastes inThailand.
The Natural Resources and Environment Ministry has asked the Industry Ministryand Commerce Ministry to issue a ministerial regulation to make the provisionsof the resolution a law.-VNA
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Thai National Deputy Police Chief Wirachai Songmetta, centre with white gloves, law-enforcement officers and journalists walk past a pile of mobile batteries during a recent raid in Bangkok. (Photo: AP) 
