Shun plastic, public urged

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Shun plastic, public urged

By PRATCH RUJIVANAROM 
THE NATION

 

Shopping malls and convenience stores yesterday encourage their customers to use cloth bags rather than plastic, in a move to cut the more than 2 million tonnes of plastic waste generated in Thailand annually.

 

On Thai environment day, experts want people to make small changes in lifestyle to help tackle huge generation of waste.

 

 

IT IS important for people to make small changes in their daily lives in order to cut down on the huge amount of plastic waste being generated, according to experts involved in fighting the menace.

 

Thailand faces serious problems caused by plastic pollution. The country produces more than 2 million tonnes of plastic waste per year and ranks sixth among countries with the largest amount of mismanaged plastic waste.

 

Photo from: Tesco Lotus Community 

 

Public officials from the public sector and academics pointed out on Thai Environment Day yesterday that the problem of plastic pollution can be solved through behaviour adjustment and active participation by everyone, along with the proper policy support from the authorities. 

 

Natural Resources and Environment Minister General Surasak Karnjanarat said plastic waste pollution is one of the biggest problems facing Thailand. Thai people throw away some 45 billion single-use plastic bags per year, which amounts to about 12 per cent of overall household waste nationwide.

 

Surasak said the government was focused on seriously addressing the problem. The Public Health Ministry have stopped distributing plastic bags in every public hospital since October, while the National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department is also planning to ban plastic bags in all 154 national parks across the country.

 

Photo from: Tesco Lotus Community 

 

He said many supermarkets and department stores across Thailand have also joined the government campaign to voluntarily refrain from distributing plastic bags on the national Environment Day.

 

However, despite their promises, most shops were found to be still providing their customers with plastic bags.

 

Jiaranai Vithidkul, a PhD student at Chulalongkorn University, said she has been avoiding plastic bags for a long time and this environmentally friendly behaviour was not as difficult as many people thought it to be.

 

“People usually think that giving up the use of plastic bags and adopting a low-waste lifestyle is too radical. But from my experience, I can say that there are many easy ways that urbanites like us can avoid producing unnecessary waste,” Jiaranai said.

 

“For example, I usually take an extra fabric bag with me all the time to carry shopping items instead of asking for a plastic bag, and when I have lunch at the university canteen, I always use stainless steel spoons and forks to eat noodles instead of single-use chopsticks.” 

 

She said these little adjustments that she made in her daily life were very easy and if many people did the same, the outcome would be really big, as the production of a large amount of waste can be avoided.

 

 

However, she admitted that the hardest part of changing habits for a greener lifestyle was the addiction to the convenience of plastic.

 

“I admit that plastic makes our lives much easier and provides convenience. As we have got used to this convenience for quite a long time, it has made us feel that we cannot do without plastic, even |though before the invention of plastic we could live perfectly well without it,” Jiaranai said.

 

As many people still think that it is very hard and inconvenient to change their habits, she suggests that the best way to reduce plastic waste in daily life is to start with small things and go step by step.

 

“To stop using plastic bags at once is an unsustainable way of changing one’s habit. Everyone should find their own way to lower waste generation in their daily lives, so it suits their lifestyle,” she said.

 

“If you find the most suitable way for you, it will be very easy to practice and make it your new habit.” 

 

 

Meanwhile, Asst Professor Pracha Khunnathamdee, a lecturer at Thammasat School of Economics, suggested that state policies to reduce plastic bag usage are not enough to tackle the country’s plastic waste problem.

 

Pracha pointed out that governmental support for biodegradable plastic and alternative material for goods packaging are also important to make their cost cheaper and promote them as a replacement for plastic with environmentally less-harmful materials.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30359859

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-12-05

[Samui Bodoh]

I went to my local Big C yesterday, on "Thai Environment" day. I (literally) had to argue with the cashier to use the plastic bags that I had brought in with me, despite signs up all over the place saying that there were no plastic bags available because of... wait for it... Thai Environment day.

 

If Thailand wants to improve its environmental record (and, it damn well should), then it will require government action, legislation and political will.

 

Based on yesterday's performance, I say zero for three.

 

Thailand is truly blessed with stunning natural beauty, but if/when it is covered in garbage it becomes yet another third-world, mismanaged s**t-hole.

 

 

[davehowden]

In my local Big C yesterday a Thai guy looked very upset when his purchase of an ironing board was not wrapped in numerous green plastic bags for him 555.

[balo]

No plastic bags here in Pattaya , in Big C and Lotus.

 

But 7/11  ? no signs, nothing.  

Very disappointing , especially since the 7/11 boss had told media they would work for a plastic free environment. 

[fruitman]

We ate in Black Canyon last weekend and they gave us plastic cups to drink our water (which came in a plastic bottle as well).

 

 

[akirasan]

No plastic in this photo..job well done

[mok199]

As I watched people yesterday at a check out, most seemed ''confussed'' and ''put off''. the only way this will work, is to force it down their throats...

[fforest1]

1 hour ago, davehowden said:

In my local Big C yesterday a Thai guy looked very upset when his purchase of an ironing board was not wrapped in numerous green plastic bags for him 555.

I like my plastic....I would be very upset and make a scene too if a store did not have plastic bags for my purchase.....Plastic works...Its just that simple...

Edited December 4, 2018 by fforest1

[jlwilliamsjr18]

Thai Environmental Day?  What about the other days? 

[Emster23]

1 day. Whoop dee doo. One day is 0.3% of a year.

Like using one less sheet of tissue per toilet paper roll and congratulating yourself for saving the rain forests

People respond to incentives. Try charging 1-2 baht per plastic bag for a month or two at 7/11. Tesco, etc.

 

[1337markus]

1 hour ago, fforest1 said:

I like my plastic....I would be very upset and make a scene too if a store did not have plastic bags for my purchase.....Plastic works...Its just that simple...

I agree I just love looking for knives and scissors in my kitchen to cut open the plastic that is so tightly wrapped around most purchases. Imagine no plastic what would the scissor makers do? LOL.

[Aupee]

1 hour ago, fforest1 said:

I like my plastic....I would be very upset and make a scene too if a store did not have plastic bags for my purchase.....Plastic works...Its just that simple...

Your  name may be fforest but the forest will be a garbage heap of plastic. "Oh look I'm the only one in step, !?" yes another plastic bag  please

[tifino]

 

use paper bags, and save the plastic trees

[Chassa]

2 hours ago, balo said:

But 7/11  ? no signs, nothing.  

Very disappointing , especially since the 7/11 boss had told media they would work for a plastic free environment. 

 

 

I believe 7/11 are all franchises. that means 1000s of bosses!

[Lungstib]

I am giving up plastic. Easy, right? No more buying sliced bread, pots of yogurt, jugs of milk, pot noodles and jok, cartons of eggs, bottles of soft drinks or jars of biscuits. Cant have khao man gai or gai yang + som tam from the local shops. Starting with 7-11 and Tesco carrier bags is not going to clean up this country in any meaningful way. Yes, we need to buy our fruit and veg in other packaging but its the massive food companies, the people who supply all those supermarket shelves with plastic packaged goods that we need to tackle. Even before we put it in a bag our take home shopping is 10% plastic package waste. 

Edited December 5, 2018 by Lungstib

[canopy]

You can urge and educate the public all you want, but that won't make them care. They love their plastic and don't care what anyone thinks they should be doing and they don't want people barging into their lives telling them what to do. They happily burn the plastic and throw it in the streams or toss it on the road and if you were to educate them it stinks, pollutes, is harmful to health and environment, they'd continue to do it. If the government actually cares, all they need to do is choose a model proven to work elsewhere in the world and adopt it. But so far the best these geniuses can come up with is a one day show.

 

[DavisH]

4 hours ago, balo said:

No plastic bags here in Pattaya , in Big C and Lotus.

 

But 7/11  ? no signs, nothing.  

Very disappointing , especially since the 7/11 boss had told media they would work for a plastic free environment. 

7/11 would put a toothpick in a plastic bag...idiots. And I have no need for small plastic bags. I use the larger ones for tossing out anything I can't compost in my garden. 

 

Just change 5 or 10 baht a plastic bag...people will soon change. 

 

Thailand isn't that far behind. There was a recent barrage of complaints when they learned there would be no more plastic bags at some major supermarkets. I think those shops soon backed down. 

[tifino]

well, I for one would prefer my toothpick be sealed away from others' grubby fingers! 

[Khun Paul]

Put 100% extra tax on plastic bags making far more expensive to buy , and at the same time freeze all prices at current levels ,  manufacturers of plastic bags quadruple their business tax. They will either have to manufacturer bio-degradable plastic bags or change ..Make the country pay for it use and soon it will stop. 

[Hooliganzone]

3 hours ago, akirasan said:

No plastic in this photo..job well done

But everything he is carrying is wrapped in plastic...

[marko kok prong]

Unfortunatley like climate change it's too late,look around your house, many of the items inside are made of plastic that one day will be thrown out.

[Incobart]

no bags, people not knowing , I think is not so good, I travel a lot and what seems to work best is just pay for it when you want a bag. this will avoid that Thai people go out with 7 plastic bags if 2 or 3 is enough, 

many people will use their own bag more or bring plastic bag from shop before with them. Sure you will reduce plastic bags with 75 %. and upsetting nobody.

[canopy]

I am against reducing plastic bags. I am against charging for plastic bags. I am for banning plastic bags outright. If someone needs a bag, charge them a fee for a RECYCLED PAPER bag. It's the California model. It solves the plastic bag problem 100% before the year is out. Why would anyone propose anything less?

 

[Gillyflower]

The small Tops store  on Thae Pae Road is selling most attractive shopping bags for 29 baht.  They have slogans such as.......NO plastic bags....the numbers are there.  The choice is yours.......going one year without plastic bags will save 1 million marine animals.........help protect our ocean.

 

That didn't stop them from wanting to give me a plastic bag.

[wvavin]

Good idea, good statistic but this will never work in this country.

[Hooliganzone]

5 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

I went to my local Big C yesterday, on "Thai Environment" day. I (literally) had to argue with the cashier to use the plastic bags that I had brought in with me, despite signs up all over the place saying that there were no plastic bags available because of... wait for it... Thai Environment day.

 

If Thailand wants to improve its environmental record (and, it damn well should), then it will require government action, legislation and political will.

 

Based on yesterday's performance, I say zero for three.

 

Thailand is truly blessed with stunning natural beauty, but if/when it is covered in garbage it becomes yet another third-world, mismanaged s**t-hole.

 

 

Yesterday I went to the FoodMart supermarket in Jomtien, I bought a small can of soft drink and a small packet of crisps the cashier was putting the 2 items in a large plastic shopping bag until I told her I don't want the bag there were no signs anywhere to be seen and even if there was there is not much point if you don't train your cashier staff.

Environment day nothing but a joke its always the general public to blame and rightly so in certain cases but if the big companies who don't give a damn and only think about the amount of profit they make were made to not use plastic for their products then their would be no plastic waste for the general public to be dumped anywhere.

In other words ban plastic wrapping and plastic bags and you have resolved plastic waste by at least 50% i'm sure, its not complicated I am not picking on Thailand its the same everywhere its all to do with profit money talks in the world we live in. 

Edited December 5, 2018 by Hooliganzone

[ebonykap]

I did some shopping at Tops  Central Rama 9 yesterday. Out of a small sample of 4 people being served while I was waiting, all were surprised when told no plastic today, and no plastic bags were available for them. Good job I say! However, I think their alternative cloth bags had all gone so the customers had the option of either leaving their items or carrying them in their arms.

All my items fitted nicely into my back pack ????

[Jiggo]

5 hours ago, balo said:

No plastic bags here in Pattaya , in Big C and Lotus.

 

But 7/11  ? no signs, nothing.  

Very disappointing , especially since the 7/11 boss had told media they would work for a plastic free environment. 

You need to go to Foodmart mate, you get a plastic bag for your plastic bag there.

[guest879]

pointless Thailand. plastic bags to be banned in 6 months here in New Zealand. bit behind most of Africa but at least we got there eventually.

[johng]

34 minutes ago, canopy said:

If someone needs a bag, charge them a fee for a RECYCLED PAPER bag

What will they put  hot noodles and curry take a ways in ?

what will the cold/frozen things that "sweat" in a hot tropical climate do to a paper bag

especially hanging on a motorbike mirror at 60KPH ?