The Rayong provincial court ordered Win Process Co – a hazardous waste recycling company based in Rayong province, Thailand – to clean up toxic waste contamination and pay 20.82-million-baht (about 562 140 EUR) compensation to villagers who had been forced to suffer the effects of the contamination for a decade.
Citizens of Nong Phawa village in the Rayong province, Thailand, gathered on the 16th of December to hear the ruling that may change their lives. A year and a half ago, 15 of them launched a lawsuit against the Win Process recycling company. They claimed the company had been polluting the local environment, causing the death of more than a thousand rubber trees, and polluting local water supplies with heavy metal and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).
The lawsuit is just the first round in a long battle ahead. Despite winning the verdict, the plaintiffs still cannot be certain that they will receive any compensation, as the company is entitled to lodge appeals all the way up to the Supreme Court. If that is the case, the lawsuit may take several more years to complete. Regardless of the outcome, the court verdict sheds light on the dark side of the waste recycling industry. This case is not the first of its kind. In 2020, residents of a village in tambon Nam Phu of Ratchaburi's Muang district won a court battle with Wax Garbage Recycle Centre Co after it was found to have polluted the local environment, which negatively impacted their health.
Thailand is dealing with a large amount of waste, which is also imported from other countries. However, capacities and technology are often not sufficient to deal with it without hazardous emissions. In addition, Thailand lacks legislation that would adequately protect local communities' health from toxic substances from bad industry practices.
For more information, check the EARTH Thailand Facebook post.
