How Thailand can apply economic instruments to accelerate plastic packaging circularity

Plastic production in Thailand is an integral part of the petrochemicals sector and contributed to almost 8% of the country’s gross domestic product in 2021. Every year, almost 3 million metric tons of mainly virgin plastics are turned into single-use plastics (SUPs). The top three applications that account for 80% of all plastic packaging are monolayer bags (e.g., carrying bags), multilayer pouches (e.g., snack bags), and bottles. This high throughput of plastics coupled with the leakage in waste management systems has resulted in the country being one of the largest sources of marine plastic pollution worldwide. The Thai experience is a classic example of the negative externalities of production and consumption that can be the target of economic instruments.

source:

https://www.adb.org/publications/thailand-economic-instruments-plastic-packaging