Udon Thani, July 25, 2018 – The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) strives to strengthen green growth planning and implementation at a local level by launching a systematic e-waste collection and material recycling project.
GGGI signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Udon Thani City Municipality on July 25.
The MoU, signed by Hyoeun Jenny Kim, Deputy Director-General and Head of Green Growth Planning and Implementation Division, GGGI, and Itthipol Triwattanasuwan, Mayor of Udon Thani City Municipality, will serve as a platform for collaboration between the two agencies to launch “Thailand’s Green Cities” project by promoting e-waste management, strengthening capacity building and increasing green investment flows.
“It is found that every Thai generates 3-4kg of e-waste every year and the amount is expected to increase. Greening local municipalities with the systematic e-waste collection and material recycling project will enable Thailand to advance implementation on green growth, green city and waste management regarded as part of sustainable development,” said Deputy Director-General Kim
The electronics contain heavy metals such as lead, barium, mercury and lithium. If improperly disposed, these heavy metals leach through the soil to groundwater channels which eventually run to the surface as streams or small ponds of water, and end up to the crop cycles.
Currently the e-waste recycling market in Thailand mostly comprises of informal individual collectors. Many Thai citizens use open burning to dispose of electronic goods or “backyard acid baths to recover valuable gold, silver, palladium, copper and cobalt. None of these techniques are much of an environmental improvement over dumping used phones, PCs and TVs into landfills.
Under the MoU, GGGI will pilot the “Advancing Thailand Green Cities: Systematic E-waste Collection and Material Recycling Project” in Thailand’s northeastern province of Udon Thani by providing technical advice on sustainable e-waste management, a business model for a scalable material recycling center and supporting funding mobilization for the e-waste recycling facility.
“We believe the MoU we signed today will enable local administrative body to be equipped with effective planning and funding management essential implementing systematic e-waste collection and material recycling, so our communities will better deal with increasing e-waste in our communities and nearby,” said Mr. Itthipol
Going forward, GGGI and Udon Thani City Municipality will work closely to develop a systematic e-waste collection system and recycling plant and mobilize investment for the project. Also, both parties will jointly share experience and best practice on research, policy, institutional frameworks and implementation of green growth strategies via publications, workshops, conferences and seminars at both national and international levels.
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About the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI)
Based in Seoul, GGGI is an intergovernmental organization that supports developing country governments transition to a model of economic growth that is environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive. GGGI delivers programs in 27 partner countries, both member and non-member, with technical support, capacity building, policy planning & implementation, and by helping to build a pipeline of bankable green investment projects.
GGGI has 28 Member countries from developed, developing countries, including Small Island Developing States, from South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia and the Pacific regions. To learn more about GGGI, see https://gggi.org and visit us on Facebook and Twitter.
For more information, contact:
Mr. Khan Ram-Indra, Country Representative, GGGI, Tel: +66 (0)81 832 4225, Email: khan.ramindra@gggi.org