7-Eleven launches campaign to 'reduce and stop' use of plastic bags

[Giving it a Go]

I fully understand all the cynicism of the replies on here but come on people, it's a start. I see more and more people taking bags for life into the supermarkets. Yes, they tend to be farangs but you lead by example, don't you? It is a massive habit to break but it is all done to education. Likewise, the Soi dogs (I can hear your groans from here) but if the relevant Ministry started subsidising the Vets to start a neutering campaign, once again, it's a start in the right direction. Gentle comments back please!?!

[theonetrueaussie]

1 hour ago, ericnoodeeka said:

and while you're at it, 7 wont miss u dude, hop along now with ur plastic rubbish.

 

oh you think you are reducing plastic...WRONG, when I have no 711 or family mart bags i throw out a big garbage bag every night filled with a few items, my friends do the same. So instead of us throwing out a small 711 bag filled with garbage we are now throwing out a bag 5x the size and thicker with rubbish every night so in fact we are using even more plastic ????

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

Are the plastic bags they use now Biodegradable?  

[johng]

I think, the 2 of you don't really understand the term "convenience store"!
to go an buy a bag!

Don't need to buy a bag they give them to me for free...yes its very convenient not to have to remember to take a bag everywhere...and they are used as bin liners and soi dog/cat pooper scoopers and rain hat (but not in that order) so not single use bags anymore.

[scoutman360]

A few months ago, I decided to bring my own bags to the store every time I shop. I have reduced my plastic bag consumption by 95% with very little effort. Sometimes, other Thais behind me in line see what I am doing and they then refuse a bag also.

 

The biggest problem is always 7-11 when they argue and always try to double bag the heavy stuff. My tired old 3 month old bag still keeps going strong with large whiskey and soda bottles. Never broken a bag yet.

[Eligius]

24 minutes ago, johng said:

 

 

Don't need to buy a bag they give them to me for free...yes its very convenient not to have to remember to take a bag everywhere...and they are used as bin liners and soi dog/cat pooper scoopers and rain hat (but not in that order) so not single use bags anymore.

 

I think 7/11 and all the big stores should be investing in biodegradable bags. That makes good sense to me. Then you and I can use bags for a variety of reasons and functions - and with a clear conscience!

[scoutman360]

37 minutes ago, Giving it a Go said:

I fully understand all the cynicism of the replies on here but come on people, it's a start.

 

According to the article, CP All says the campaign started in 2007. Apparently they still haven't trained the cashiers.

[twig]

The thing to stop first is wasting customers' and staff time and creating garbage out of those stamp promotions they keep running.

If they want to do a promotion, just discount the old fashioned way.

 

Such a nuisance and waste these stamps!

[Athens]

Fantastic, reduce plastic to where absolutly needed WW not only in 7/11, Macro and Tesco and all other shops in Thailand. Ban plastic straws, spoons, forks  etc, foam of any kind

[Pdavies99]

Simple really, charge 5 baht per bag, with money going to charities!

[toenail]

Another PR stunt with words & no action. 

[Troebal]

Went somewhere, forgotten where now, that had a sign proudly stating that to protect the environment they did not use plastic straws with their drinks, only paper. The paper straw came wrapped in a plastic sleeve. So it goes.

Edited November 8, 2018 by Troebal

[shaurene]

Encouraged the public and the shops to stop issuing bags from 2007. They forgot to tell the shop workers. I have been in many of them to buy a bottle water 10bt or a 10bt pack of chips. Every time they put it in a small plastic bag. I buy 2 bottles Leo they use 2 bags.

Words Words again, I think they all went to the same school, could have been the same one Harry Potter went to.

Thailand would boom if they got the right managers, to run their companies. 

But as a lot of us know, loss of face. 

We in the west have never thought that way. If the boss thought you could do it, he would give you a go.

Sirry to go on Guys. I was a general manager in supermarkets for Tesco UK for 14 yrs. I was looking for a warehouse assistant to the manager. 

This young guy 17 applied. I read his letter. I told him to come for interview. He came looked very young,masked him his last job. 

He told me never worked for 2 yrs. Why I asked. He told me he got involved with the wrong kids ans was arrested for burglary and spent 2. Yrs in Borstal.

Had a few more words with him and I liked him, he was honest told me the truth and I gave him the job. 

I said to him, don't let me down.

he turned out great, hard working, honest and trustworthy. He ended up a warehouse manager.

sorry guys.

 

[shackleton]

its pretty simple when you go shopping in a Mall Mart or  7/11

just tell the Cashier  you don't want to many  plastic bags  where one will do or   you have your own 

save on the use of plastic  why worry what others do 

you will feel better knowing you are doing your bit for the Environment 

 

[bluesofa]

9 minutes ago, toenail said:

Another PR stunt with words & no action. 

Absolutely, as I can confirm from my post (#7), 7 Eleven are all mouth and no trousers.

 

Being a boring git, I've just looked through my archived emails, and found the one I sent to 7 Eleven.

(These are regarding their claim to be reducing the number of plastic bags.)

In my post I originally said "more than a year ago", I can now see it was 20-03-2016. That makes it more than two-and-a-half-years ago.

In my email I included the url of the page on their website - which now no longer exists - about what they were doing. What I did say however, was:

 

{quote} Can you tell me the date when 7-11, along with other major retailers started to discourage customers not to use plastic bags one day a week – was it on Wednesdays?

It must have been more than a year ago? I have seen nothing in the press about it recently.

 

I also thought you were having a campaign to discourage customers not to take a plastic bag for one or two small items?

When I go into any 7-11 to buy one item (a bottle of milk, or a loaf of bread) the staff never ask me if I want a plastic bag, they will ALWAYS put the item into a bag without asking.

 

As part of your Corporate Social Responsibility, I thought 7-11 were training staff to ask customers if they wanted a plastic bag? {unquote}

 

Like I said, despite sending them a second email, they never responded.

 

 

[kevin612]

I believe the stores are like bank branches, just up to them.

[Bluespunk]

3 hours ago, Xonax said:

Oh No!!   Not yet another doomed campaign for banning plastic-bags.

Why not campaign to force the government to buy modern waste recycling plants / incinerators, which are much more environmentally friendly?

Incinerating plastic is far from environmentally friendly.

 

The solution is reduction in use, not recycling and certainly not incineration.

 

Banning their use would be an excellent move.

[johng]

They can be recycled back to oil.

[hugocnx]

Means I must now go to the plastic shop to buy plastic bags for waste buckets.

 

[ttrd]

5 hours ago, DM07 said:

As long as they still sell bananas in plastic bags, that get put into a plastic bag, after you bought it...

As longs as they put ice-cream cones into plastic bags...

As long as they give you a straw, with every drink you buy, because Thais are obviously not able to drink form a can or bottle without soiling themselves...

As long as you get a plastic spoon, with every ....

 

To cut a long story short: it will not happen!

It is as likely that there will be a paper version of condoms ....….

Edited November 8, 2018 by ttrd

[kannot]

Started 7, YES SEVEN years ago!! in that time theyve probably opened a  few  hundred more outlets.

If the  iced d rink buyers  didnt  have a bag it would be much harder for them to throw the drink carton  full of  ice away when theyve finished, certainly round by me the plastic  bag allows them a   good swing round for maximum launch velocity into the  hedgerow

[Kevbo]

2 hours ago, Eligius said:

I think 7/11 and all the big stores should be investing in biodegradable bags. That makes good sense to me. Then you and I can use bags for a variety of reasons and functions - and with a clear conscience!

I've been wondering for years why they can't offer us paper bags, I've asked the question in UK supermarkets many times but no one can give me answer.

it seems to work for US stores and Primark in UK

[Charlesed]

This campaign is only to satisfy  complaining tourists. A Thai would never ever say no to a plastic big. Loose face mentality and unpolite! 

[ttrd]

4 minutes ago, Kevbo said:

I've been wondering for years why they can't offer us paper bags, I've asked the question in UK supermarkets many times but no one can give me answer.

it seems to work for US stores and Primark in UK

Its all about the cost - its a more costly process to produce paper than plastic….

 

https://fighttheplasticbagban.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/plasticbagalternativesmuchmorecostlytoconsumers.pdf

Edited November 8, 2018 by ttrd

[balo]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

All, the founder of 7-Eleven in Thailand, said that CP All has initiated the project to encourage the public to reduce and stop plastic bags since 2007. 

 

Doing a good job are you Mr All ? 10 years project and your staff are still handing out plastic bags like it was coins. 

Edited November 8, 2018 by balo

[MikeN]

4 hours ago, miamiman123 said:

Went grocery shopping at Tops last Saturday and filled up a big push cart to the brim....usual things meat groceries etc....then went to check out long lines! Asked why it’s so slow as many people were waiting and frustrated....ummh?

guess what Tops “First day of the month”....they don’t give out or supply plastic bags for customers!!!

no warning or staff telling you this at the entrance....no after one(1) hour of time wasted then tel say “oh sorry no bags today...1st day of month.

left cart at check out and I checked out!!

kinda crazy w NO warning!

You cannot go to TOPS often then, as they have had this bag free day on the 3rd day of the month for a while, and there are lots of signs and announcements about it, at my local TOPS anyway.

 Never seen anybody unaware or complaining about it either.

[Kevbo]

13 minutes ago, ttrd said:

Its all about the cost - its a more costly process to produce paper than plastic….

 

https://fighttheplasticbagban.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/plasticbagalternativesmuchmorecostlytoconsumers.pdf

That's what I suspected, but they can still splash their advertising all over it, and they can charge us a nominal fee of a few pence to cover production costs instead of "fining" us for using plastic

[africasiaeuro]

After 40 years of spilling a Billion tons of plastic waste - a kind thing to do.

How many branches 711 has now? 100 000  or more. Each of them sells 10000 HM LTPE HD PP PE EPP Bags, bottles, containers, straws, covers, cups, and more a day. Assume a conservative 100 kg a day. End of the day ( 24 h ) brings 10 tons and 300 tons monthly. 3600 Tons annually. Conservative estimate. Cool. That's 711 only. Garbage that lasts a thousand years.

[MikeN]

3 hours ago, spermwhale said:

"abolishing plastic cap seals for water bottles"

 

So all plastic water bottles will have no caps and exposed to the air? 

 

Sounds like a great idea. 

No, it does not say anything about not having caps..... there will still be caps on the bottles, just no plastic wrap seals over the caps.....you know those fiddly  little bits of plastic people tear off and probably drop on the ground. If you don’t need them on Coke bottles, why would you need them on water bottles ?

[hotchilli]

7 hours ago, DM07 said:

As long as they still sell bananas in plastic bags, that get put into a plastic bag, after you bought it...

As longs as they put ice-cream cones into plastic bags...

As long as they give you a straw, with every drink you buy, because Thais are obviously not able to drink form a can or bottle without soiling themselves...

As long as you get a plastic spoon, with every ....

 

To cut a long story short: it will not happen!

Totally agree this is a cheap shot at a marketing strategy, nothing at all about reducing plastic bags or for that matter anything plastic!!

But to be fair, go into any of the convenience sized stores & you get a ridiculous amount of packaging .