BANGKOK, THAILAND – Thailand moved to confront a mounting e-waste crisis with a new law that would force electronics producers to take back and recycle old devices.
400,000 tonnes of e-waste and no system
The Thai Pollution Control Department (PCD) reported that more than 400,000 tonnes of electronic waste were generated in 2023, including discarded smartphones, tablets and refrigerators. Much of this waste remained in households or went to informal collectors because there was no functioning nationwide collection system. These collectors often dismantled devices under hazardous conditions, leaving toxic residues that contaminated soil and groundwater.
New WEEE law and producer responsibility
The planned “Electrical and Electronic Equipment Waste Management Act (WEEE)” was designed around the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) principle, known in German as “erweiterte Herstellerverantwortung”. Under this approach, companies that sold mobile phones would also have to ensure their proper disposal. Manufacturers and importers would be obliged to take back and recycle old devices, bearing the associated costs, which authorities framed as a potential revolution for Thailand’s waste management system.
Hidden gold in old phones
The legislation was presented not only as a waste solution but also as a way to recover valuable resources from discarded electronics. From one million recycled mobile phones, more than 15 kilograms of gold, 350 kilograms of silver and 15,000 kilograms of copper could be extracted. Compared with environmentally damaging mining, such recycling was expected to save significant amounts of greenhouse gas emissions, turning waste into both revenue and climate protection.
International examples and economic value
Thailand looked to existing models abroad for guidance. The Australian “MobileMuster” programme collected 109 tonnes of old mobile phones in 2024, with recovered materials worth the equivalent of 85–90 million baht. A report by the World Economic Forum underlined the importance of rare earths in old smartphones, stressing that these raw materials were too valuable to be consigned to landfills.
Implementation hurdles and social impacts
Authorities acknowledged that rolling out the law would be challenging, as a comprehensive national take-back network still needed to be established and consumers had to be persuaded to participate. Small informal collectors who depended on scrap electronics for their livelihoods were not to be pushed to the margins but integrated into the new system. At the same time, producers were expected to pass part of the cost pressure on to buyers, making electronic products slightly more expensive as the price for a cleaner future.
What the law would mean for consumers
Under the WEEE regime, people would no longer be allowed to dispose of old devices with ordinary household waste, but would instead rely on new central collection points. When purchasing a new phone, a small recycling fee might be included in the price to fund safe and resource-efficient treatment of old equipment. Policymakers portrayed the shift as a step away from a throwaway culture, allowing the long-ignored “treasure in the drawer” to be recovered for the economy and the environment.
Public debate over responsibility
The emerging discussion around the law raised broader questions about the future of e-waste. Many old phones, tablets and other devices still lay in drawers, backyards and illegal dumps, described as both toxic to the environment and economically valuable for corporations while posing risks for future generations. The debate asked whether manufacturers should be compelled to take back their waste and whether e-waste should be seen primarily as an environmental threat or as a missed economic opportunity, alongside questions about stricter regulation versus individual responsibility.