Legal Measures for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Management in Thailand

Abstract

           At present human beings’ consumptions of electrical products and electronics goods/ have been rapidly increased./ When lifetimes of such products and goods have expired coupled with human beings consuming behaviors in a manner of discarding after using them have made all such products and goods become “waste electrical and electronics equipments” or informally called “electronics wastes” which are deemed to be dangerous or toxic wastes not being naturally degradable.

            Based on the research outcome, many countries in Western Europe have issued the laws concerning solving of the above mentioned problems. There are more than 35 countries, 23 federal states in the United States of America and 6 states in Canada issuing the Laws on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Management for Enforcements. Where countries in the Asian region only Japan, Republic of Korea and Republic of China (Taiwan) have initiated actions to cope with this problem since 1990 while People’s Republic of China has issued the Regulations for Administration of the Recovery and Disposal of Waste Electric and Electronic Products 2009 which was put into force in 2011 and Republic of India issued E-waste (Management and Handling Rules) which was put into force on 1 May 2012. In the ASEAN countries only the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Kingdom of Cambodia, there are laws governing the disposal of electrical and electronic products. The Socialist Republic of Vietnam is the first country in ASEAN to adopt the principle of expanding the responsibility of producers to use the treatment of waste or hazardous waste products. The Government of Vietnam has issued a law in effect 2011. There are countries, forex ample Malaysia, Republic of Indonesia, and Lao People’s Democratic Republic which are under the course of issuing the laws. If Thailand shall remain neglect on the issuance of the relevant laws, it could make Thailand step backward and cannot keep pace with the countries in the Asian region that such problem will not be properly solved.

            In Thailand must to take a legal measure to solve the problems about the management of waste electrical and electronics equipment. Therefore, the government must urgent the enforcement of the Waste electrical and electronics products Management Act B.E. …. for the correct way to slove the problems before law enforcement. Relevant agencies must accurate information cleary guidelines for people entrepreneurs or those involved in all sectors. if the people do not understand the principles and reasons of the law it may lead to have problems to return of waste electrical and electronics equipment. However in the future Thailand can actually be enacted. In opinion the researcher that the management of waste electrical and electronics equipment is significant problem as well as in the ASEAN to. Therefore, there should be an agreement to solve the problem together and formulate guidelines for ASEAN Member States to preparation of laws or amend existing internal laws to be consistent in the same direction to solve problems together sustainably.