Thailand to finally stop using those annoying plastic seals on water bottles

[webfact]

D-Day to phase out use of plastic cap seals on April 1 

By Thai PBS

 

 

Thailand will begin to stop using plastic cap seals in water bottles beginning April 1 in its effort to decrease plastic waste and save marine lives.

 

The movement to phase out the use of plastic cap seals was agreed on Tuesday (Feb 13) when state and private organisations signed a memorandum of understanding to stop using the small plastic seals.

 

They were the Pollution Control Department (PCD), the Office of the Consumers Protection Commission,  the Thai Beverage Industry Association, the Plastics Institute of Thailand, and five major manufacturers of bottled water.

 

Full story: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/d-day-phase-use-plastic-cap-seals-april-1/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2018-02-14

[webfact]

Fewer Water Bottle Cap Seals Starting April

By Chayanit Itthipongmaetee, Staff Reporter

 

  

Water bottles without cap seals. Photo: Thad Zajdowicz / Flickr

 

BANGKOK — Starting in April, bottles of drinking water will no longer come with plastic seals over them.

 

Five manufacturers agreed Tuesday to stop affixing plastic over water bottle caps. The agreement is part of a government campaign to eliminate the plastic and will be effective starting April 1.

 

Full story:  http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/bangkok/2018/02/14/fewer-water-bottle-cap-seals-starting-april/

 

-- © Copyright Khaosod English 2018-02-14

[coulson]

16 minutes ago, webfact said:

D-Day to phase out use of plastic cap seals on April 1

Good one, but its too early....

[1337markus]

Couldnt pick a better day for it. <deleted>.

Edited February 14, 2018 by metisdead
Profane acronym removed.

[Bob12345]

About time.

Those seals are freaking annoying.

[DavoTheGun]

This was announced 2 Years ago, nothing happened, will not hold my breath!

 

[Gulfsailor]

20 minutes ago, Bob12345 said:

About time.

Those seals are freaking annoying.

Agreed. For years I've only been buying brands that don't have the seals on them. 

[tifino]

well, this'll make it much easier for local business, in refilling recycled bottles, without needing to bother about defeating any tamperpoof

[Pattaya28]

This ban happened months ago.

This is a repeat. Why ?

Any "group-photo" of the implementers "blowing their own trumpets" ?

[bbbbooboo]

hmmm.... good news.... I used to wonder if I was brain damaged because I had such problems opening the seals....hmmm

[gjoo888]

You could die of thirst trying to get those seals off, and most of the time they would come off in pieces. Annoying to say the least. 

[sensei]

If pollution or garbage is the concern here,

 

there's more plastic in the bottle itself.

 

 

[PoorSucker]

2 minutes ago, sensei said:

If pollution or garbage is the concern here,

 

there's more plastic in the bottle itself.

 

 

Bottles are recyclable, the annoying seals not.

[seancbk]

12 minutes ago, bbbbooboo said:

hmmm.... good news.... I used to wonder if I was brain damaged because I had such problems opening the seals....hmmm

 

You must cut your fingernails really short if you don't have enough nail to peel off a plastic seal.

[pattayadon]

This was suppose to happen last October. Like previous members said, seeing is believing!

[NextStationBangkok]

Finally YES!

 

They can use a simple thin stripe in a different color can cap, so that customer will know if the bottle is unsealed.

[JOC]

Leaving the market open for cheaters...

I will bet you anything, that creative mom/pop shop owners will fill them with tap water.....

I have seen the big water bottles (20 liter?) filled directly from the garden hose before delivery to customers...

[barryofthailand]

Tesco Bottled water does not have any plastic seals

 

[Cake Monster]

WOW ! This will really reduce the amount of plastic waste the Country produces and pollutes with.

[impulse]

Watch the consumption of straws skyrocket now that there won't be seals to keep rat pee off the caps.

 

Along with reports of foul tasting bottled water as some enterprising locals refill the bottles with tap water and pocket the money that would have gone into the 7/11 cash register if they had to match inventory like they do now.  Refill 30 bottles at 7 baht each and a crafty store clerk could pocket a 50% increase in their take-home.  And the inventory will still tally...

 

A well meaning plan.  But poorly thought out.

 

Edited February 14, 2018 by impulse

[Lupatria]

1 hour ago, DavoTheGun said:

This was announced 2 Years ago, nothing happened, will not hold my breath!

 

Delegations of four manufacturers, the Pollution Control Department (PCD), the Office of the Consumers Protection Commission,  the Thai Beverage Industry Association, the Plastics Institute of Thailand had breakfast and lunch meetings, probably at golf resorts for two years and you say: 

nothing happened?

[MaxLee]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

D-Day to phase out use of plastic cap seals on April 1 

 Well if it's April 1 it's a guaranteed just kidding.....

[VocalNeal]

53 minutes ago, tifino said:

well, this'll make it much easier for local business, in refilling recycled bottles, without needing to bother about defeating any tamperpoof

Quote

 

Leaving the market open for cheaters...

I will bet you anything, that creative mom/pop shop owners will fill them with tap water....

 

 

When I rode a 2-stroke motorcycle in Indonesia I was told by more than one shop "Always by oil in a can" because an opened can cannot easily be refilled.

Edited February 14, 2018 by VocalNeal

[wavemanwww]

53 minutes ago, tifino said:

well, this'll make it much easier for local business, in refilling recycled bottles, without needing to bother about defeating any tamperpoof

If the plastic seal cap feels like it doesn't snap open then buy another brand for only a few Bah extra where cap seal snaps. Simple!

As for those so called tamper proof seals it's just excess plastic that WILL kill marine life. That is, what's left of the marine life in Thailand? There is more dead coral on the beach than in the sea there. Rangers having a field day with tourists.

[Classic Ray]

The seals are there to prevent product contamination, and as someone already pointed out, unauthorised refilling. Unless they change the cap design to incorporate break off tabs, you will never know the quality of what you are drinking is what the bottler intended.

 

This is simply a ploy to save the bottlers money. If there is any problem with the quality they will be able to claim that their product has been tampered with.

[impulse]

48 minutes ago, wavemanwww said:

If the plastic seal cap feels like it doesn't snap open then buy another brand for only a few Bah extra where cap seal snaps. Simple!

As for those so called tamper proof seals it's just excess plastic that WILL kill marine life. That is, what's left of the marine life in Thailand? There is more dead coral on the beach than in the sea there. Rangers having a field day with tourists.

 

A while back, discussing this same topic, I posted close-up photos of a popular brand where the only way to tell if it had been opened before was to snap it open.  Which is a little too late to return it if it had been refilled.

 

I may have also posted photos of a family of rats playing on top of an opened case of drinking water outside a local 8-12 or other store with a similar name. (Defamation laws, don't you know)

 

I'm going to miss those seals, which are a tiny percent of a percent of the waste problem here in Thailand.  Yet serve at least 2 very useful purposes.

Edited February 14, 2018 by impulse

[hashmodha]

hmmm.... good news.... I used to wonder if I was brain damaged because I had such problems opening the seals....hmmm

Agreed. For years I've only been buying brands that don't have the seals on them. 

Me too.....has anyone tried opening the 6 litres Robinson/ Tops black label water container.?...nearly cut my the inside of my thumb!

Please excuse spelling mistakes/Grammar/Misunderstanding!

[Jimdandy]

begin to stop 

 

Is that anything like 'start to finish', or 'good punishment'? 

[farcanell]

36 minutes ago, Classic Ray said:

The seals are there to prevent product contamination, and as someone already pointed out, unauthorised refilling. Unless they change the cap design to incorporate break off tabs, you will never know the quality of what you are drinking is what the bottler intended.

 

This is simply a ploy to save the bottlers money. If there is any problem with the quality they will be able to claim that their product has been tampered with.

I remember reading a hilarious account of what happens when a local refills water bottles, and adds a dollop of super glue to the “break away” cap... hours of diarrhea later  ( don’t tell my mother I work on an oil rig)

 

“He said bottled water is the product that the Ministry of Public Health has set quality standard for manufactueres to produce and cleanliness of the water must be ensured.

With such requirement of the ministry, plastic cap seal is therefore unnecessary, he said.”... link

 

is this the same ministry as oversees (sub) standards in 30 plus% of markets in Bangkok.... if so... I’m reassured! ????

 

but seriously, whilst some action to prevent environment contamination is good, I again wonder at the direction that actions take in this country... more specifically, how they prioritize things, because this is way down on any list I would come up with. Raw sewage was hot a couple of days ago, for example.... or unbreathable air... that’s always worth while to pursue.

 

heres a really good starting point, though, if authorities are worried about plastics and other garbage entering the water.... public rubbish bins and proper waste disposal centers.

 

i know.... I’m not thai.... I don’t understand. 

 

[wgdanson]

1 hour ago, PoorSucker said:

Bottles are recyclable, the annoying seals not.

Yes, those seals get really annoying, clapping their flippers, eating all the sardines and barking. Send 'em all back to the North Pole.