The importance of efficient and clean recycling of used electronics is clearly growing. Panasonic have announced that whilst they are willing to invest in a recycling facility in Thailand, no money will be spent until the country has finalised their electronics recycling laws.
Thailand has been making steps, if only small, towards drafting legislation on waste electrical and electronics equipment (WEEE) for the past eight years using the EU WEEE legislation as a guideline, but as yet nothing has been confirmed.
Historically, the Thai government put through a draft to promote the management of hazardous waste from used products which went through parliamentary hearings and consultation, and was then again amended in 2005-06. In 2007 the Thai WEEE Strategy was approved which involves pilot projects, which are to be followed by the enactment of a legal framework expected in 2011, setting WEEE collection and recovery rates of 50%.
The Thai WEEE Strategy underwent further amendments by the Finance Ministry, mainly to provide policies and frameworks for public-finance measures and other tools involving environmental management.
So perhaps with the incentive of a possible 400 million yen investment, Thailand will deliver the finalised WEEE laws by the expected deadline of 2015.
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