Thailand's industrial waste disposal is 'sub-standard'

"The economic recession is a factor leading manufacturers to try to save money," said managing director Suwat Luengviriya.

Most manufacturers still lack a sense of social responsibility when it comes to waste management, he said.

They do not want to pay the extra cost for proper disposal and so opt to use non-quality services, he said.

Better World Green estimates 15 million tonnes of industrial waste are produced a year but that less than 400,000 tonnes are treated by waste-management providers.

The waste is incinerated, dumped in properly prepared land, recycled and reused. Low-quality companies usually offer only incineration and land filling.

Siam Waste Management Consul-tant managing director Suwit Chantawibul said legal enforcement was inefficient, due to many problems, including a lack of both money and personnel.

"Now, in handling industrial wastes, it's like we're discharging untreated water into the river," he said.

Several industrial companies with a sense of corporate social responsibility, such as Siam Cement and Siam City Cement, have initiated their own waste-management systems, but they deal with partial waste.