The amount of marine debris generated in Thailand has dropped to 21,700-32,600 tonnes annually (Photo: thainews.prd.go.th)Bangkok (NNT/VNA) - The amount of marine debris generated in Thailand has dropped to21,700-32,600 tonnes annually, after theinitial success of a project to increase the reuse and recycling of materialsby 25 percent. Plastic bags remain the largest proportion of marine debrisfound in the environment.
Thailand’s Ministry of Natural Resources and theEnvironment’s (MNRE) Permanent Secretary Jatuporn Buruspat, has revealed adownward trend in the quantity of marine debris generated in Thailand, with thevolume of marine debris washed ashore in 2018 at between 21,700-32,600 tonnes annually, which is an obvious decrease from theamount in 2016 of between 33,900-51,000 tonnes.
He said the decreasein marine debris is due to greater reuse and recycling of materials, from 15 percent to 25 percent.
In 2018, theDepartment of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) conducted a study ofmicroplastic contamination in the environment caused by the degradation ofplastic debris, and its potential long-term effect on the food chain and human health. The study, conducted in 18seaside provinces, found 53 - 2,102 pieces of microplastic per square meter of beach in the dry season,with the level of concentration dropping to 0 - 974 pieces per square meter in the rainy season.
Every year thedepartment holds activities to celebrate the International Coastal Cleanup, on September 3 each year. This year, the department also held eventson September 21 in 24 seaside provinces which helped remove 230,000pieces of debris, weighing 10 tonnes in total, from themarine ecology.
Most of this debris was assorted plastics, with plastic bags at22 percent, plastic bottles at 16 percent, foam food containers at 9 percent,along with glass bottles at 5 percent, and drinking straws at 5 percent.
The MNRE permanentsecretary has stressed 350,081 pieces of debris have so far been collected thisyear, from beaches in 23 seaside provinces, weighing in total 32.83 tonnes. Thelargest proportion of this debris is plastic bags amounting to 11.71 percent,followed by foam food containers and food bags./.
