Lighthouse Reports and Prachatai investigate the dumping of plastic waste from Europe and North America in Myanmar – Thailand was found to be a ‘corridor.’ We invite readers to track the routes and roles that have been hidden. Even though the Thai government announced a ban on plastic waste imports as of 2025, that does not include ‘transit.’ – So this means Thailand will continue to act as a route for sending plastic waste on to other countries.

<p>Waste in the Mekong is largely due to poor waste management by riverine communities. Although it includes plastic materials from China, this material may well have been discarded locally. There are also an abundance of discarded containers from Thailand and neighbouring Myanmar. Moreover, microplastic contamination can now be found along the entire length of the river.</p>