Thailand is New Dumping Ground For World's High-Tech Trash, Police Say (trust.org)

Thailand is a new dumping ground for scrap electronics from around the world, say police and environmentalists, the latest country to feel the impact of China's crackdown on imports of high-tech trash. From a report: Police at Laem Chabang port, south of Bangkok, showed on Tuesday seven shipping containers each packed with about 22 tonnes of discarded electronics, including crushed game consoles, computer boards and bags of scrap materials. Electronic refuse, or e-waste, is turning up from Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan, police said, some of it imported by companies without the required permits. "This ... shows that electronic waste from every corner of the world is flowing into Thailand," Deputy Police Chief Wirachai Songmetta said as he showed the containers to the media. While "e-waste" -- defined as any device with an electric cord or battery -- can be "mined" for valuable metals such as gold, silver and copper, it can include hazardous material such as lead, mercury and cadmium. Police said they filed charges against three recycling and waste processing companies in Thailand. Anyone found guilty could be jailed for up to 10 years.

Comments

sense of scale

[CSMoran]

seven shipping containers each packed with about 22 tonnes

A dump fire in Zgierz (Poland) has just conveniently consumed 50 thousand tonnes of plastic waste from Germany, Italy and Switzerland. There's been two dozen of similar (but smaller) fires in the last two months there. And these guys are worried about 150 tonnes?