December 8, 2022, Pollution Control Department (PCD) organized training to develop the potential of saleng and recycle traders under the activities to develop the potential of saleng and recycle traders, Development and Management of Waste Sorting and Reuse Project to reduce the impact on the environment and health by the process of participation of saleng and recycle trader. This project was granted by the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (Thai Health), including supported from Thailand’s Saleng and Recycle Trader Association (SRTA) and the Lung Saleng and Lost Garbage Page. Mr. Pinsak Suraswadi, Director General of PCD assigned Ms. Preeyaporn Suwanaged, Deputy Director General to preside over the opening ceremony of this training course.
Ms. Preeyaporn Suwanaged, Deputy Director General of PCD stated that waste sorting guideline at source which saleng and recycle traders have joined as a mechanism to make plastic scraps and various types of packaging from homes, buildings, offices and other sources be brought back to use as raw materials in the industrial sectors to make “garbage” must not be “garbage” but “garbage” is a “resource” that must be recycled according to the circular economy principles. This is in line with the BCG model policy as announced by the government to be the national agenda and will also support the policy on ban on the import of plastic scraps in the next 2 years. Now, saleng and recycle traders are a group of people who play a very important role in the recycling business acting as intermediaries in collecting or buying recyclable waste or leftover materials. There are 5 regional training programs in the central, northern, northeastern, eastern and southern regions aim to develop a potential of saleng and recycle traders. Today is the 1st training program in the central region. The training focuses on educating each type of waste separation, proper operation, precautions for certain hazardous materials that do not affect the operator’s health, environment and neighbouring residents, compliance with regulations including the use of the Recycle Hero
Mr. Srisuwan Kuankachorn, Committee of the ThaiHealth Fund said that attitude adjustment on solid waste in view of reuse capability has been added value and income to people and local administrative organization including reducing production costs in another way. Saleng and recycle traders’ operations must have a duty to separate each type of material, such as glass, paper, plastic, aluminum, copper, steel, to add value in selling. This process may cause an impact on environment, contamination of heavy metals and toxins in surrounding areas, health of workers and people in the community from prolonged exposure. Therefore, ThaiHealth cooperates with PCD and Saleng and Recycle Trader Association to upgrade quality of life of saleng and recycle traders’ systematically from physical, mental and intellectual health, and raise knowledge and understanding of safety occupations for life and do not impact to the environment and well-being, including forming a network of organizations to reduce inequality.
Mr. Chaiyut Phonsen, President of the Saleng and Recycle Trader Association said that the saleng and recycle trader in Thailand has been around more than 100 years. Upgrading and increasing potential of waste and environmental management to be a part of pushing forward the goal under the Roadmap on Plastic Waste Management and the new economic model policy (BCG Model) is a joint history creation. As the President of the Saleng and Recycle Trader Association, I have prepared persons who have experience, knowledge and ability to be speakers to educate the saleng drivers and recycle traders gathered from all over the country. This shows a strong intention to change this career to develop and increase opportunities and potential of waste management. I hope that government and related agencies will continually organize this program.
Mr. Prem Pruktayanon, the owner of the Lung Saleng and Lost Garbage Page, said that junk shop business has been with Thailand for a long time. However, they often do not get an attention from society as they are an important mechanism for solving waste problem in the country. Recycle Traders also lack of knowledge development and business models that can reach easier to public. Therefore, the potential development of saleng and recycle trader training program is a good starting point for saleng and recycle trader to develop the Thai recycling business to keep up with social and technological changes and become one of the main mechanisms that will drive the circular economy in Thailand according to the BCG policy.”
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