Thais start waking up on reducing plastic bags

[swissbie]

34 minutes ago, phantomfiddler said:

Not wishing to sound pedantic or smart, Mike, but I think the words are "Mai sai toong, na kap", not "toom". I heartily agree with everything you do, and emulate ?

Just wanted to say the same and also to Mike; i pack my things myself in my bag, it's a lot of work for the cashiers to do so as supermarket checkouts aren't built for that purpose. I would never bring my own water bottles in a proper as i wouldn't do it in the west (try that..).

[Poottrong]

14 minutes ago, BangkokReady said:

Interesting. Is that because it makes it look like you are poor by reusing a bag, or is it just going against the crowd that is the issue?

She probably quite rationally finds the whole exercise pointless and embarrassing.

[swissbie]

proper restaurant i wanted to say..

[partjfos]

1 hour ago, trainman34014 said:

Judging by the amount of fresh plastic bags and other rubbish i saw this morning on my bike ride i would say the Thai Public don't give a rats arse about reducing any kind of rubbish !

Well clearly they do, as the OP demonstrates.

[BangkokReady]

2 minutes ago, Poottrong said:

She probably quite rationally finds the whole exercise pointless and embarrassing.

How is it pointless? The point is to reduce plastic bag use and it does this effectively. The more people that use a reusable bag, the fewer plastic bags are released into the environment.

 

It seems that following this method is very much the rational thing to do.

 

It seems irrational not to want to reduce plastic bag use.

 

Could you perhaps explain why not trying to reduce plastic bag use seems rational to you?

[Oldgumshoe]

I do most of my shopping at the local Big C and almost always take my stock of fabric bags. Last Saturday the lady supervising the cashiers came and told my lady and I that by bringing the fabric bags and not requiring plastic bags they have a reward system of a bonus 200 points on the loyalty card each shopping trip.

When I go to 7/11 and take an old plastic bag for my ice purchase they will try everything to give me a new plastic bag, interesting.

[Zack61]

1 hour ago, White Christmas13 said:

not only Woolworth Coles as well and at Aldi they never had any plastic bags

 

Makro does it. 

[HHTel]

1 hour ago, Thian said:

So the UK only stopped recently with plastic bags? Amazing, it just shows how Holland has to be the first and most green country all the time.

Rwanda, Africa banned plastic 8 years ago.  Their cities look pristine. With the Thais attitudes to Africans, it should be demonstrated daily that there are African nations better than Thailand.  They won't like that but it might change their mindset.

[sawadee1947]

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

A change in consciousness must start at the most basic level. Most Thais think plastic is the best thing ever invented, and the percentage of Thais that even consider the negative ramifications of plastic is incredibly small. This requires some education. I always do two things to avoid the consumption of plastic.

 

1. I bring re-usable bags with me every time I go shopping. I use the larger shopping bags I buy in the US, which are made of recycled materials. Most of the clerks have to be dealt with. Even when they see my bag, they still start putting the stuff in plastic. I always mai sai toom. No plastic! Then they start loading up my bag. Most look at me like I am from Mars. Do I care? Not one iota. About 1% thank me, and get it. Not many do. My Thai wife does not like bringing the bags to the store. I force her to. By now, she expects it, and sometimes even asks if I have any bags in the car, or on the motorbike. Same with the water bottles. It used to embarrass her. Now, it is second nature, as I have been doing this for so long, she expects it. So, if a Thai can be conditioned to follow these simple principals, then anyone can. 

 

2. I bring a bottle of water with me, every time I go to a restaurant. I refill my plastic bottles from the 20 liter bottles at home. It is easy. I never buy bottled water at a restaurant. This saves 300-600 bottles a year. I use a plastic bottle dozens of times. I never get any flack from the restaurants. Only once did someone say something to me. She said you cannot bring you own water. My response was if you serve the water in a glass bottle, and I do not have to consume a plastic bottle, I am happy to pay for that. She was lost. I told her to leave and get me my food. She went away. 

 

We simply cannot say we are concerned about the environment, and then do nothing about it. Action demonstrates commitment. Lack of action demonstrates nothing. 

Lastly, restaurants can demonstrate their commitment, by serving drinking water from the 20 liter bottles. It saves alot of plastic. They lose a small amount of revenue, by not selling thousands of bottles of water. But, their operation is still profitable, and they are making a real difference. There really is not need to be consuming water in plastic bottles. At least not often. There are alternatives. Those damn bottles are a real culprit, when it comes to fouling the environment. What can we do, if we say we care?

 

By using normal plastic bottles over and over, they start to leach chemicals. What they are referring to is BPA, and other toxic chemicals that leach from the plastic, if the bottle sits in the sun, or has been sitting for too long, or is re-used a few times. This can easily be avoided by purchasing these bottles shown here. They are on ebay, and shipping to Thailand is either free or less than $1. The bottles are one liter, and a half liter. Only $2-3 each. Worth it. I use them daily. 

 

 

I think you will get the Nobel Prize! 

[Rampant20]

2 hours ago, jaiyen said:

This is the start !  It will take a long time or may never happen. Better than doing nothing.  Here in Perth Woolworths have stopped giving out any plastic bags effective today.  Try doing that in Thailand !

Please......the rest of Australia have been selling reusable heavy duty bags for ten years at least in major stores.......perth as always are 10-15 years begind most. Clean city or not its a great idea

 

2 hours ago, jaiyen said:

This is the start !  It will take a long time or may never happen. Better than doing nothing.  Here in Perth Woolworths have stopped giving out any plastic bags effective today.  Try doing that in Thailand !

 

[Bigstef]

It's a small start but for make it work they need the government to make a national campaing and and to form the teachers,then young students will show the rest of the family,this will be a very long process a decade at least, Tesco,Big C,7-11,need to be in this........and maybe big joke could look after the offender 

 

Edited June 20, 2018 by Bigstef

[spidermike007]

1 hour ago, phantomfiddler said:

Not wishing to sound pedantic or smart, Mike, but I think the words are "Mai sai toong, na kap", not "toom". I heartily agree with everything you do, and emulate ?

OK, thanks for that. The former always works, but I will try to improve my Thai!

[spidermike007]

56 minutes ago, Poottrong said:

She probably quite rationally finds the whole exercise pointless and embarrassing.

Pointless huh? The old our participation is not really going to make a difference, so why even try philosophy. Lazy, slothful, indifferent, and irresponsible at best. Or just plain old republican we own the earth.

[spidermike007]

1 hour ago, BangkokReady said:

Interesting. Is that because it makes it look like you are poor by reusing a bag, or is it just going against the crowd that is the issue?

I think many Thais can be classified as being very conservative, and living inside rather small boxes of convention. She has wised up. She is fine with it now. I think she is actually proud of making the effort, especially when one in 20 Thai people say "wow, that is really cool" or something like that. Nothing to do with looking poor. I think that is a rather outdated concept.

[jimster]

2 hours ago, Thian said:

What? Only since today? I thought Ozzies were such naturelovers?

 

In Holland there are no free plastic bags in supermarkets since 25 years i recon.

 

The Thai should start drinking tapwater...that would save so much plastic. 

Tap water? Full of chlorine and all? No thanks. And also no need. Many Thais reuse 18L bottles of water, fill them up with water from the local reverse osmosis water dispenser, place it over a water cooler and dispense water whenever needed. I've never seen anyone in the west do that - everyone just buys 1.25 or 1.5L bottles and throw them away once finished (OK, even if they are then recycled) and never once have I seen a water dispensing machine in a western country.

[CGW]

2 hours ago, Thian said:

I drink tapwater now for 8 years, untill the big flooding without waterfilter, after that with a purifier with UV-light. I drink 2-3 liters of it every day, no problems at all.

Your welcome to come and drink 2-3 liters of my tapwater, if you are still standing 8 hours later you will have defied medical science! ? 

[grkt]

55555555555555555555555+++++++

 

 

 

[peperobi]

I was living a long time in Germany and there was already in the '80 usual to charge for plastic bags, is working. Here they must first improve the quality of the bags so the peoples can use it several times. Every begin is hard!

[maximillian]

2 hours ago, SymS said:

The main problem is disposal... It's fine to use plastic bags, just discard them properly. Do not throw them everywhere.
 

In theory, people could defecate anywhere they please, but in practice most people don't, and do that in toilets instead, since they have been taught to properly "dispose" of their feces from a young age.  It could be the same for plastic bags ? Education!

 

Would be best not to produce it in the first place. The bags... ?

 

[Sumarianson]

No change in conciousness required by the Thai people. Just a change over to Cassava biodegradeable bags and charge initially if the cost is higher. It is for the government to legislate not the people. That is what the people vote for. ( But they did not vote in this lot, maybe the Chinnawatra's would have done better)

Forward thinking is needed by the lazy government who line their own pockets.

[Cake Monster]

3 hours ago, Thian said:

What? Only since today? I thought Ozzies were such naturelovers?

 

In Holland there are no free plastic bags in supermarkets since 25 years i recon.

 

The Thai should start drinking tapwater...that would save so much plastic.

Thais drinking tap water ?

You obviously dont live here as the " tap water " is non drinkable ( if you can get any )

Its filthy, full of bacteria and really is unhealthy

 

[anon789561]

Just now, Cake Monster said:

Thais drinking tap water ?

You obviously dont live here as the " tap water " is non drinkable ( if you can get any )

Its filthy, full of bacteria and really is unhealthy

 

think he was talking about water going through a filter. worth the investment to get one

[Joinaman]

I discussed this with my other half

we have a shop selling basic food and drinks

the drinks various ice flavoured. She gives them one large cup

one lid

one straw

one one plastic carry bag

for the foods this can be a polystyrene box, or 2 different plastic bags, plus spoons or skewers

 it when I try and say no spoon, no lids, now carry bags, she looks at me crazy, cos she say, they not buy if you do that

we go through thousands of plastic items each month , and nort sure how we can stop it, cos it seems most Thais expect th these things and will go elsewhere if not provided

teaching them to reduce plastic is like trying to teach them to put rubbish in the bin

she complains get  at me cos I shout at the kids when the walk past my bin and drop the rubbish on my lawn, but they just look at me as a crazy 

many time I get funny looks when I say no bag in Tesco or 7-11 but maybe if we keep doing it they just might learn

[wvavin]

"Waking up call" simply does not work in this country with this mind set!

Edited June 20, 2018 by wvavin

[NextStationBangkok]

3 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

A change in consciousness must start at the most basic level. Most Thais think plastic is the best thing ever invented, and the percentage of Thais that even consider the negative ramifications of plastic is incredibly small. This requires some education. I always do two things to avoid the consumption of plastic.

 

1. I bring re-usable bags with me every time I go shopping. I use the larger shopping bags I buy in the US, which are made of recycled materials. Most of the clerks have to be dealt with. Even when they see my bag, they still start putting the stuff in plastic. I always mai sai toom. No plastic! Then they start loading up my bag. Most look at me like I am from Mars. Do I care? Not one iota. About 1% thank me, and get it. Not many do. My Thai wife does not like bringing the bags to the store. I force her to. By now, she expects it, and sometimes even asks if I have any bags in the car, or on the motorbike. Same with the water bottles. It used to embarrass her. Now, it is second nature, as I have been doing this for so long, she expects it. So, if a Thai can be conditioned to follow these simple principals, then anyone can. 

 

2. I bring a bottle of water with me, every time I go to a restaurant. I refill my plastic bottles from the 20 liter bottles at home. It is easy. I never buy bottled water at a restaurant. This saves 300-600 bottles a year. I use a plastic bottle dozens of times. I never get any flack from the restaurants. Only once did someone say something to me. She said you cannot bring you own water. My response was if you serve the water in a glass bottle, and I do not have to consume a plastic bottle, I am happy to pay for that. She was lost. I told her to leave and get me my food. She went away. 

 

We simply cannot say we are concerned about the environment, and then do nothing about it. Action demonstrates commitment. Lack of action demonstrates nothing. 

Lastly, restaurants can demonstrate their commitment, by serving drinking water from the 20 liter bottles. It saves alot of plastic. They lose a small amount of revenue, by not selling thousands of bottles of water. But, their operation is still profitable, and they are making a real difference. There really is not need to be consuming water in plastic bottles. At least not often. There are alternatives. Those damn bottles are a real culprit, when it comes to fouling the environment. What can we do, if we say we care?

 

By using normal plastic bottles over and over, they start to leach chemicals. What they are referring to is BPA, and other toxic chemicals that leach from the plastic, if the bottle sits in the sun, or has been sitting for too long, or is re-used a few times. This can easily be avoided by purchasing these bottles shown here. They are on ebay, and shipping to Thailand is either free or less than $1. The bottles are one liter, and a half liter. Only $2-3 each. Worth it. I use them daily. 

 

 

 

 

Most of the Shampoo, liquid cleaners are coming in bottles, often you have to throw away. Each container is costing to customer and pollution. Why not BIG-C , LOTUS , TOPS start selling the liquid based cleaners(Floor/Toilet/Dish washers/Liquid soaps), in a reusable containers and buy at the store at refill counters and saves money and environment ?

 

 

[anon789561]

years ago there were hardly any recycling places and now they are everywhere. it's all about awareness and it's good thailand is waking up to it. wasn't long ago the west hadn't woken up to it. progress takes time

[JestSetter]

3 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

By using normal plastic bottles over and over, they start to leach chemicals. What they are referring to is BPA, and other toxic chemicals that leach from the plastic, if the bottle sits in the sun, or has been sitting for too long, or is re-used a few times. This can easily be avoided by purchasing these bottles shown here. They are on ebay, and shipping to Thailand is either free or less than $1. The bottles are one liter, and a half liter. Only $2-3 each. Worth it. I use them daily. 

Excellent comment!

 

While I agree that reducing our exposure to BPA is important, I wonder how many people know that every single can of beer is lined with BPA, according to this article. Btw, I read that pouring beer the wrong way can cause some concern as well. Not sure how much these two effect one's health, but I would also be concerned by the freshness of the food that one would eat at restaurants and even at the grocery stores/market (meat/fish especially). 

 

But, I wonder if those bags (especially the ones that Thais put the already-made food in [those small, transparent ones] contain BPA too and whether or not that BPA leaches out in the environment as well, playing havoc with our hormonal balance and as the article mentions causing cancer and such. Are the water PVC pipes bringing the water to our tap BPA-free?

[Jim walker]

My Thai wife takes her shopping bag with her all the time now and has practaly stopped using plastic but some shops put everything into plastic then into the shopping bag seems very strange habit but I presume its just the Thai way

[lvr181]

4 hours ago, jaiyen said:

This is the start !  It will take a long time or may never happen. Better than doing nothing.  Here in Perth Woolworths have stopped giving out any plastic bags effective today.  Try doing that in Thailand !

I understand that Australians have been using 3.2 - 3.9 BILLION single use plastic bags every year. That is a population of around 23M, compared to Thailands  69M - Thais could be using one helluva lot of plastic bags!

[Knocker33]

4 hours ago, Thian said:

What? Only since today? I thought Ozzies were such naturelovers?

 

In Holland there are no free plastic bags in supermarkets since 25 years i recon.

 

The Thai should start drinking tapwater...that would save so much plastic.

Would you drink the tap water because I certainly wouldn't trust it