# Tracking E-Waste: Unveiling the Hidden Costs of Technological Progress

- Link: https://www.thailand-business-news.com/environment/205632-tracking-e-waste-unveiling-the-hidden-costs-of-technological-progress
- Published: 2025-04-16T08:24:00+07:00
- Author: Supaporn Naksuwan

The rapid evolution of technology has significantly accelerated the turnover of 
IT devices, leading to their quicker transition into electronic waste (E-waste) 
compared to other product categories. This technological advancement has drastically
shortened the life cycle of electronic products. According to The Global E-waste
Monitor, global e-waste amounted to 62 million tons in 2022 and is projected to 
rise to 82 million tons by 2030, reflecting an average annual increase of approximately
2.6 million tons.

Thailand is also grappling with the issue of overflowing e-waste in its cities. 
According to the Pollution Control Department’s environmental quality report, the
volume of e-waste in Thailand has risen by approximately 17% annually over the past
decade, reaching 439,495 tons in 2022. This surge is partly attributed to evolving
consumer behavior, particularly in the IT sector, where rapid technological advancements
drive frequent product turnover. Supporting this, the SCB EIC survey on “Sustainable
Consumption” reveals that IT devices **like smartphones and tablets are among the
fastest contributors to e-waste, with around 30% of Thai consumers replacing their
devices every 1-5 years.**

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## Consumers are becoming more aware of the E-waste problem, but still lack knowledge on waste separation.

**Currently, Thai consumers are becoming more interested in environmental issues
and E-waste, but some still have problems in managing E-waste appropriately.** Consumers
around the world are increasingly aware of the importance of environmental issues
and E-waste, as reflected in the Euroconsumers survey data, which indicates that
more than 90% of respondents in EU countries are aware that E-waste is not general
waste, with almost half aware of their participation in E-waste recycling.

A significant challenge lies in effective management, as less than half of the respondents
are able to properly separate E-waste. In Thailand, the SCB EIC survey revealed 
that over 88% of respondents are concerned about environmental issues and the rising
volume of E-waste, with 30% reporting that they have taken E-waste to a designated
collection point. However, some consumers still face difficulties in handling E-
waste, with approximately 20% continuing to act as E-waste accumulators, as they
rarely or very rarely dispose of electronic products.

## Thai consumers show growing interest in eco-friendly electronics despite budget limitations

**The E-waste problem has caused Thai consumers to place more importance on green
electronic products in line with global trends, but there are still budget constraints
if the products are more expensive than general products.** The pollution problem
and the increasing amount of E-waste have caused consumers to place more importance
on green products, while entrepreneurs have also turned to develop more green products.
This is reflected in data from Future Market Insights, which indicates that the 
global market value of green electronic production is expected to increase from 
US$17.3 billion in 2023 to US$17.7 billion in 2033, with an average growth rate 
of 26.14% per year (between 2023 and 2033).

Meanwhile, the demand for green electronic products in Thailand is expected to grow
in line with global trends. According to a survey by SCB EIC, most Thai consumers
are interested in green electronic products and are willing to pay more. However,
more than half of consumers are willing to pay more, but not more than 5%. At the
same time, some consumers are still not interested in green electronic products 
due to budget constraints and view green electronic products as more expensive than
general products. In addition, about 1 in 3 consumers surveyed are beginning to 
view environmental issues as an important factor in choosing products, such as energy
saving. Environmental certification, etc.

## ESG pressures accelerate development of green electronics

**ESG pressures accelerate the development of green products in the electronics 
industry. The consumer behavior survey results show that ESG pressures are a major
challenge for entrepreneurs** in the electronics supply chain, who must adjust their
strategies and develop their production towards green electronics to meet the needs
of green consumers. The changing business strategies of major players will have 
a cascading impact on suppliers in the manufacturing supply chain, who must also
adapt to ensure that their products or materials fed into the manufacturing process
are certified by their partner companies. Currently, many countries around the world
are increasingly aware of the E-waste problem, especially in the European Union (
EU), which requires entrepreneurs who produce electronic products for sale in the
EU to produce products in accordance with the EU’s standards. For Thailand, the 
Ministry of Industry is currently proposing a draft of the Industrial Waste and 
Electronic Waste Act. If the law passes the parliamentary process and is enforced,
it will be an important turning point for Thailand, leading to a more serious, effective,
and tangible management of electronic waste.

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## Thailand should urgently address the E-waste problem while promoting the use of more green products.

**However, the management of E-waste and the development of green electronic products
in Thailand still have many challenges, which the government measures will play 
an important role in** pushing forward. Although the government is in the process
of proposing laws on E-waste, in terms of implementation, there are still many challenges
because E-waste management still requires cooperation from both the public and private
sectors, as well as resources in terms of capital and personnel. At present, it 
is found that the allocation of areas or E-waste collection points in communities
is still insufficient. In addition, although Thai consumers are starting to become
more aware of the E-waste problem, they still lack knowledge on how to dispose of
or separate E-waste from general waste. In addition, law enforcement may not be 
strict enough, which results in the E-waste problem still being an endless threat
to Thailand.

According to the SCB EIC survey, opinions and needs of Thai consumers in promoting
the green electronics industry have been collected. The policy recommendations are
as follows:

1) Promote the establishment of “take-back” or “purchase” points for e-waste.

2) Establish “drop-off” points for segregated e-waste.

3) Promote a project to subsidize the purchase of green electronic products.

4) Tax privileges for the business sector from purchasing green electronic products,
such as energy-saving or recyclable office equipment.

5) A project to provide knowledge about waste management and information on green
electronic products.

6) Issue serious regulations on e-waste management.

7) Promote/attract investment in the green electronic product supply chain, including
legislation to control and increase taxes for groups that are not green electronic
products. 8) Provide soft loans for investment projects in the green electronic 
industry.

Source : [In focus / The series of “Conscious Consumerism” (EP.3) Green electronics … เส้นทางสู่สินค้าอิเล็กทรอนิกส์สีเขียวเพื่อตอบโจทย์ผู้บริโภคสายกรีน | SCBEIC](https://www.scbeic.com/th/detail/product/green-electronics-270325)